The coming of the visitor who could not move with ease due to overcrowding altered UNHCR Refugee Agency about persistence of congestion.
In mid Feb the UNHCR in conjunctions with the NCCK and DRA declared a decongestion exercise in the camp. This was put to the effect through NCCK who provide staffs and the field monitor. Its effect was greatly felt in group 78 zone 5 where those authorized workers took maps used in 2007 to locate immediate position of the road. Their measuring tapes measured properly sized road to fit vehicles, houses which fell where road was expected were demolished. the occupants were shifted to group 26 also known as Hong Kong and zone 2. the remnants pushed backwards leaving adequate spacing, this road is opposite to Kakuma restaurants, wholesales , retailers ,shopping centers and cafes along the side the roads.
Any one whose houses were demolished were given a shelter. “we have the lists and have made sure that all have their house constructed and given a new one in any relocated centers from their previous groups and UNHCR sent their staffs through the NCCK to build the house.” Abdi Jalil NCCK field monitors who spent the whole day watching, marking to make sure that all the refugees shifted have house. Abdi Khalif an interpreter working with the Department of the Refugee Affairs (DRA) discloses to KANERE in an interview when they were wrath for those shifted. “Most of them liked zone 5 unlike their current areas.” said DRA interpreter.
Carrying of their luggage’s and people’s transportations was funded by the UNHCR they were carried by the Lorries to their new relocated groups. The overcrowding and lack of the spaces and poor sanitations was frequently reported by the community leaders.
The refugees affected by this exercise had their views through kanere, some people did not really enjoyed relocation but have to persevere with the changes while others stated that the relocation created space to freely move around the neighbour hoods. “it now easy to take patients to the main road to get to the hospital and families can now have their own independent plots with the gates compare to before where we should always go round until to reach to the picking points nearness to the local community administration.” said Sayid Mohammed on the creation on those roads in group 78 in zone 5 camp. “I am happy because nobody could pass through my home like before at any given time even at night as it used to.” he added.
On relocated regions refugees also speak to KANERE and told the reporters that the areas had enough water compared to Kakuma 1 and that that was the only major advantage while they complained to the insecurity situations. ” there are no much disturbance and calm , we also don’t buy the water as it was in zone 5 there but some water points are far from some members.” said Idri Mohammed . Other relocated member also shared their views stating that the area was very much exposed and that they were not protected by any fencing to the leaving houses and some people went back to their previous zones. “we have been trying to fence our compounds by selling our food rations to make the plot and fence our surrounding in groups and we at the same time pay the local turkana ladies either cash or food stuffs. ” said Ahmadnoor Adam the occupant of group 45 speaking to KANERE.
The relocated refugees claimed that they encountered attacks from the unknown attackers at night whom they stated are the thefts from the near by local communities and that there are no security personnel with an hand set radio in the new groups to raise help at any given time. Thefts were believed coming across the streams who some times throws the stones at night after the police and GSU patrols.” said Mohammed Ibrahim to KANERE.
Major problems problem’s according to some of the relocated refugees are that they business activities are affected and that they every day have to go to and from the Kakuma 1 market because where they were did not had any defined market in their new areas.