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Refugees camping outside Parliament evicted at midnight and abandoned in Nakuru – PHOTOS


Families camping outside Parliament Buildings were on Tuesday night forcefully evicted, bundled into vehicles and abandoned in Nakuru town.

The families are Kenyan refugees who fled the country at the height of the 2007/08 post-election violence, but were repatriated in May last year.

They have been camping at Parliament for almost a month after returning from a refugee camp in Tororo Uganda.

PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH
PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH

Speaking to Nairobi News on Wednesday morning, the group’s chairman Pastor John Njoroge said the 82 refugees who were braving the cold night were attacked by goons during the midnight raid.

Eleven of them sought refuge at the Parliament police station, but the goons pursued them inside the station, retrieved them forcefully and bundled them into waiting minibuses as police officers on duty watched helplessly.

Pastor Njoroge claimed two minibuses used to ferry the families belong to a local matatu sacco whose registration numbers they have.

PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH
PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH

He added that the number of those who were abandoned in Nakuru town is 35 together with a young child whose parents cannot be traced. Others scattered in the city centre during the raid.

“They came at around midnight and started beating everyone before a hired matatu came and everyone was bundled in and taken to Nakuru,” said Pastor Njoroge.

He claimed that after they were dropped at a petrol station in Nakuru town for a promised breakfast, the matatus took off with their belongings.

PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH
PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH

“Everyone was left there standing after they said they were going to buy us breakfast.

“The matatus took off with all their belongings which included documents and clothes,” he added.

The refugees have reported the incident at Nakuru Central Police Station. They are camping outside Kenya Red Cross offices in Nakuru town.