Post-election violence victim who lost 11 of his family members cries out for help
Orinda Ndege stands at the graves of his 11 family members who were killed in Naivasha during the 2007 post-election violence at his home in Kobala village, Rachuonyo North Sub-county on 5 July 2023.
At his home in Rachuonyo North, Homa Bay County, Mr Orinda Ndege spends long hours at the family graveyard, which looks like a children's playground.
Mr Ndege survived the post-election violence that rocked the country during and after the 2007 General election, but lost 11 of his family members.
They were all buried in a corner of his compound, where he now spends most of his time.
He finds solace in going to the spot because it reminds him of his lost loved ones.
To any visitor, the spot looks like an ordinary playground for schoolchildren because of the coloured pieces of paper placed there.
Each paper bears the names of the 11 members of his family who were killed in the 2007-08 election violence.
Orinda Ndege, a victim of post-election violence, with his young bride Alice Okoth and their child, two-month-old Mary Akinyi. Mr Ndege lost 11 family members in Naivasha during the violence in 2007/2008.
For Mr Ndege, it is a reminder of the skirmishes he witnessed 15 years ago when more than 1,000 people were killed and hundreds more displaced as Kenyans turned on one another.
He buried his family members at the corner and has written their names on each grave.
"The cemetery is the only thing that reminds me of my family members. I have to be there most of the time because I feel closer to them even though I cannot talk to them," he said.
Mr Ndege lost all his possessions in the chaos that followed the announcement of the disputed presidential election results in 2007.
He was working as a fisherman in Naivasha at the time.
He remembers going to the town as a young man to look for a job, when he became interested in fishing.
He later started a family and accumulated some property, and life was fair for him.
But when the electoral commission announced that former President Mwai Kibaki had won the election, everything changed.
Mr Ndege once told the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission that he saw a group of youths armed with machetes approaching his house.
By then he had locked himself and his family, including two wives, inside.
His neighbours, also expecting violence after the presidential election, had taken refuge in the same house.
He said no one showed them mercy as they poured petrol on the house and set it on fire.
"All my family members died. My eldest son would have been 32 years old now," said Mr Ndege.
Their cries for help went unanswered, even by the police.
When the fire died down, he was the only one to survive, with burns all over his body.
He later collected the bodies of his family members and took them to Kobala village in Rachuonyo North, where he laid them to rest.
Today, he still has nightmares when he sees the graves.
"I think of myself as a man because no one has ever bothered to help me. It is unfortunate that most people will offer help when I am dead," he said.
Mr Ndege also has scars on various parts of his body, including his face and palms, as a reminder of the near-death experience he had when his family members struggled to put out the fire in the house.
The scars set him apart from the other residents of Kobala, who all know his story.
"I have tried to kill myself because of the difficulties I face. But every time I carry a rope to do this, it falls from my hands," said Mr Ndege.
Since moving to his home in Kobala, the 70-year-old has not settled down.
Due to injuries from the fire, he cannot do manual labour.
This has prevented him from getting a job, which has worsened his living condition. He is unable to take care of himself and relies on well-wishers.
"Being self-employed is also a challenge because of the lack of capital to start a business," said Mr Ndege.
He remarried twice, he said. The first woman left because of poverty.
"The woman I married after returning home left because she could not bear the suffering. I am currently living with another woman who has vowed to get used to our living conditions," Mr Ndege said.
He said he had tried to seek justice for himself and his family through various government agencies.
But all his efforts have been unsuccessful.
Mr Ndege said he was only paid Sh10,000 to move from Naivasha to Homa Bay, while other victims received more money.
Last month, the National Assembly's Portfolio Committee on Administration and Internal Security questioned Cabinet Secretary for Home Affairs Kithure Kindiki as to why Mr Ndege was left out while other victims of the violence were compensated.
According to the committee, those affected received compensation of Sh200,000, while others received Sh400,000 and plots of land.
In response, the CS said he would look into the matter with the security agencies to ensure that every Kenyan was treated fairly and equally.
However, he argued that there were individuals who were using the compensation process for personal gain, adding that others were presenting forged documents to get money.
Mr Ndege accused politicians of exploiting his condition for political gain. Some have used him to get votes.
"I have been invited to political rallies and used as an example of the effects of violence. In return, no one has bothered to help me," said Mr Ndege.
Like Mr Ndege, other victims of post-election violence have suffered trauma and financial hardship.
Some have picked themselves up and started a new life.
But others are still struggling to survive.
Some of them have come together to help others when the government drags its feet on compensating them.
Members of the Nyanza Western Kenya Caucus of Internally Displaced Persons came together to build him a modern house after promises from various groups fell through.
But the group could not raise enough money for construction.
They appealed to well-wishers to help them raise funds for the initiative.
According to the group's director, Mr Erick Oyugi, more than 84,000 people were displaced by the 2007-08 post-election violence in Nyanza and Western regions.
The group has petitioned the National Assembly for the government to compensate them.
Mr Oyugi urged MPs to approve their petition for compensation.
"The money will enable us to undertake various projects for our personal welfare. The Executive arm of government has agreed to compensate us, it's only the MPs who should give the go-ahead," he said.
He said granting the petition will enable the government to fully compensate them after some received between Sh10,000 and Sh20,000.
"Most of the victims from Nyanza and Western have not been compensated. But our counterparts from other regions of Kenya have received up to Sh400,000 or plots of land. This shows some form of discrimination," said Mr Oyugi.
Victims of the post-election violence said they were not placing any conditions on the government about the amount of compensation.
"We are aware that the Interior CS has promised to look into the matter. We appeal to him to act and save us from misery," said Mr Oyugi.
Some of the affected fell victim to fraudsters during the compensation. Mr Oyugi said some criminals had taken advantage of their desperate situation to steal from the group, by using the information given to the victims to defraud others.
"They call and ask for money, which they claim will be used for compensation. They later go underground after receiving the money," Mr Oyugi said.
He urged victims of the post-election violence to be wary of such people.
Homa Bay County campaign coordinator Maurice Onyango said many victims had lost money to the fraudsters.
