Of the approximately 600,000 people displaced during the 2007-08 Post-Election Violence, estimates suggest that 540,000-560,000 returned to their homes or new residences by 2010, either because government support for camps ended or because security had improved enough to risk return. However, 40,000-60,000 people never returned to their original homes. These "forgotten IDPs" remain dispersed across Kenya as of 2026, living in informal settlements in Nairobi and other urban areas or in secondary towns outside their original regions. Their displacement, meant to be temporary, became permanent. The government treated the displacement as a 2008-2009 emergency that was resolved by 2010, but for tens of thousands, displacement never ended.
The IDP camps of 2008-2010 were characterized by humanitarian deprivation. Conditions were harsh: inadequate water, sanitation, shelter, and food. Disease outbreak risks were high. Mortality in camps was elevated due to malnutrition, disease, and inadequate healthcare. Women and children were particularly vulnerable; women in camps experienced sexual violence from both other IDPs and camp security personnel. Psychological trauma in camps was severe; families were separated, livelihoods lost, and uncertainty about return was pervasive. International NGOs provided humanitarian assistance, but aid was insufficient relative to need. By 2010, when camps were closing, many IDPs had only partially recovered from displacement trauma.
The permanent IDPs (those who never returned) represented a policy failure. These individuals had been displaced from property they owned, had lost assets, and had been unable to recover. Rather than returning home, they had relocated to Nairobi's informal settlements (Kibera, Mathare, Kawangware) or to secondary towns. In urban informal settlements, they found employment in precarious informal sectors (casual labor, street vending, sex work) at subsistence wages. Their children faced educational barriers; urban informal settlement schools were under-resourced and many children never completed primary education. By 2026, a generation of children born during or after displacement had grown up in poverty and insecurity, without connection to ancestral lands or strong community ties.
Government reparations for IDPs were minimal. The KES 10,000 compensation per family (approximately USD 70-80) did not cover property losses. By the time payments were distributed (2013 onward), many IDPs had exhausted government support and had relocated. Some reparations were paid late or disputed; families had difficulty proving they qualified for assistance. NGO programs (education scholarships, livelihood training, trauma counseling) provided partial compensation, but services were limited and temporary. By 2026, most permanent IDPs had received minimal state or international support beyond emergency humanitarian aid in 2008-2010.
The psychological impact of permanent displacement persisted. Survivors suffered PTSD, depression, and anxiety related to displacement, loss, and ongoing insecurity. Adults displaced from farming communities had transitioned to urban informal sector work, losing agricultural livelihoods and cultural practices. Children born in displacement camps grew up without strong community identity or land connection. Inter-generational trauma was evident; adults who had been children during displacement carried unresolved trauma into adulthood. By 2026, no comprehensive mental health services existed for displacement survivors; some churches and NGOs offered counseling, but access was limited and culturally inappropriate (Western psychology often missing cultural context).
The permanent IDP population represented a failure of Kenya's post-2007 transitional justice and reparations mechanisms. These individuals had been victims of the violence but had fallen outside government and international attention once the emergency phase (2008-2010) concluded. Their displacement, meant to be temporary, had become permanent, and the state had essentially abandoned responsibility for addressing it. The unresolved IDP situation represented another dimension of unfinished business from 2007-08.
See Also
Death Toll and Documentation Victims and Reparations Rift Valley Expulsions Trauma and Mental Health Land Unresolved
Sources
- International Organization for Migration. "Kenya Post-Election Violence, Camp Profiles and Return Patterns." Nairobi, 2008-2012. Available at https://www.iom.int/
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. "Kenya Post-Election Violence: Humanitarian Snapshot." Geneva, 2008-2010. Available at https://www.unocha.org/
- Human Rights Watch. "Forgotten IDPs: The Plight of Permanent Displacement Victims in Kenya." New York, 2015. Available at https://www.hrw.org/