An assessment on the factors hindering effective implementation of ‘Operation Rudi Nyumbani’ initiative

This study explored the factors that hindered the effective implementation of ‘Operation Rudi Nyumbani’ Initiative in Nakuru County in Kenya. In 2008, the Government of Kenya (GoK) embarked on the resettlement of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) who had been displaced as a result of the post-election violence that rocked the country in December 2007 and the early part of 2008 after the disputed presidential elections. The resettlement programme, dubbed Operation Rudi Nyumbani (ORN) was launched amid high anticipation among the IDPs for compensation and permanent solutions to their problems. However, there have been concerns over the manner in which the Government has been implementing the programme. Report findings indicate that the implementation of the Programme failed to meet the expectations of many. It is on this basis that the study was carried out to determine the factors that have been hindering effective implementation of the project. Descriptive survey design was employed in the study to analyze the data to determine the factors that hindered effective implementation of the resettlement of IDPs in Kenya. An interview guide was used to collect data in this study. The specific objective of the study was to assess the factors hindering the effective implementation of ‘Operation Rudi Nyumbani’ Initiative in Nakuru County. Data was collected from a sample of 387 respondents drawn from the 3 categories i.e. the provincial administration (14), the IDPs (369) and the humanitarian organizations (4). The study findings indicate that effective implementation of ORN Initiative has been hampered by a combination of political, socio-cultural, economic and logistical factors. The study was only limited to IDPs in Nakuru County.