Kerio Valley residents during a peace meeting in Chesegon on July 3, 2021.
In the rolling hills of West Pokot County, an air of uncertainty hangs over displaced families of Chesegon and Cheptulel, as they wait for a promise that remains unfulfilled.
For over three years, families who fled banditry and cattle rustling along the West Pokot-Elgeyo Marakwet border are struggling to rebuild their lives in unfamiliar towns, far from their ancestral homes. Despite government assurances, they are still waiting for a resettlement program that was promised to them.
In 2020, escalating insecurity in the border areas left hundreds of families homeless, with many fleeing for safety to towns like Lomut, Sigor, and Kapenguria. Acknowledging their plight, the government promised to build new homes and provide support to help them return to their farms.
It has been a long wait, as these promises remain unfulfilled, and the journey to normalcy has become an enduring struggle for those affected.
Late last year, President William Ruto, while in Tot in Elgeyo Marakwet County, promised affected families that the government would provide relief food, rebuild homes, and reopen schools that had been closed due to insecurity.
"We will support you," the President had promised.
Later, while visiting Chesegon in January this year, Cabinet Secretary for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) Ms Beatrice Askul reiterated the government's commitment to restoring stability and resettling families displaced by insecurity.
Despite these assurances, little has been done months later, and no new homes have been built, and families remain displaced.
This has caused frustration among the families living in Lomut, Sigor, and Kapenguria, who lament that authorities remain silent on the government’s promise. With the return of relative peace in the region, they feel abandoned.
“We are stuck here, with no clear plans for our future,” says Ms Pauline Cheyech, who fled to Lomut three years ago.
A National police reservist at the renovated Cheptulel Boys’ High School which was closed due to banditry in Chesegon area in West Pokot County on January 10, 2024.
“The insecurity left us destitute, and many families now have orphans and widows. We need support to rebuild our lives. We want to go back home and practice our farming once again,” she said.
Her sentiments are echoed by Mr Phillip Kalangan, another displaced resident, who lamented the economic impact of the displacement.
“Our mangoes are rotting in the fields, yet we have no home to return to, and we are unable to sell our produce,” he says, adding that continued reliance on relief food and other assistance from the government and partners was not acceptable because, given the opportunity, they could feed themselves.
“We are tired of relying on government relief, we want to be able to feed ourselves again and restore our dignity. No one is telling us the truth concerning the promise,” he says, adding they are ready to return to their farms and live independently, but need support to resettle.
The displaced families are calling for immediate action from both the government and aid organizations.
“We want to go back to our homes and resume our normal lives. We are asking President Ruto to move with speed and fulfill his promise,” says Mr Isaac Tingatinga, whose family was ambushed by bandits and forced to flee more than 60 kilometers away.
“We have school-going children whose education was interrupted. Adapting to a new life here is hard for us; we want to go back home,” adds Mr Tingatinga, now living at Lomut trading centre.
Urgent intervention
Local leaders have voiced their support for the pleas of the displaced families.
Sigor MP Peter Lochakapong has called for the urgent provision of housing, food, psychological support, and compensation for those who have lost their livelihoods.
“These people are living in poverty, facing food insecurity, and struggling to access clean water. They need more than just temporary relief,” he said.
“The government must focus on long-term solutions that address both security and development needs,” the MP said.
West Pokot Woman Representative Ms Rael Kasiwai pointed out that many displaced families have no access to schools or healthcare facilities, making it even harder for them to rebuild their lives.
“These are basic necessities that are crucial for their survival and stability,” she said.
Sigor MP Peter Lochakapong.
According to Pokot Central Sub-County Deputy County Commissioner Mr. Jeremiah Tumoh, however, the government has improved security, and residents should not fear returning to their ancestral lands and continuing with their normal activities.
"The security situation has been beefed up in the volatile regions and additional police officers have been deployed, so residents should not fear returning to their ancestral lands,” he said, appealing to affected families to return to their homes.
Mr Tumoh said over 50 households have returned to the restive Chesegon and Cheptulel areas.
The administrator said the government distributed relief food to the affected families, but acknowledged that construction of new homes has yet to begin.
For the displaced families, however, his words offer little comfort, as they insist they are still waiting on the government to fulfill its promises.
Grappling with the harsh reality of a promise that seems to be nothing more than a distant dream, Mr Vincent Komole from Annet area echoed pleas for resettlement, urging the government to send construction materials and relief food as soon as possible to help in the construction of new homes for those affected.
“We were promised iron sheets and other construction materials, but we have yet to see them," he said.
According to Mr Tito Lopuriang, another affected resident of Chesegon and now staying in Kapenguria, many affected people have no capacity to set up new homes.
"We wonder what happened. We sense they did not have a budget for the program," he said.
