Displacement causes loss of access to basic services and infrastructure such as health, education and housing facilities. Access to health facilities is paramount in that without proper health care individuals cannot be productive and can therefore not participate efficiently in economic development. Infrastructure acts as either a push or pull force to or out of the settlements. If the infrastructure is good the IDPs are pulled to remain in the self if help settlements but if it is poor it pushes the IDPs out of the self-help settlements. The study was motivated by the fact that despite the growing emphasis on return and resettlement of IDPs the rate of successful return and resettlement has been very low. The objective of this study is to investigate how availability of health facilities motivates the decisions of IDPs to settle in self help settlements. The study was guided by two theories; Improvement Risks and Reconstruction model (IRR) for population displacement and the Rational Choice Theory. The study was carried out in Nawamu self help settlement which is in Gilgil District, Mbaruk Sub- Location. The sub- location and the self help settlement where the research took place was purposively sampled. The study carried out a census interviewing all 45 household heads. The data was collected using interview schedules, focus group discussions and key informants interviews and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Key informants were purposively sampled while FGD participants were randomly selected. Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS version 17) was used for analysis. To make reliable inferences from the data, all statistical tests were subjected to a test of significance at coefficient alpha (α level) equal to 0.05.The study found that there was a significant relationship between the health facilities and the decision by the IDPs to settle in self help settlement. The study found that, majority of the household heads, (71%) were female and that 75.6% of them were motivated to settle in self help settlements. To motivate IDPs to leave the SHS, the government has to improve the health facilities in places of original residence.
Keywords: Health Facilities, Idps, Motivates, Self-Help Settlements
