Catholic bishops launch peace initiative in North Rift
Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) have embarked on an initiative to foster peaceful co-existence in the six counties that have borne brunt over banditry attacks.
The bishops from the six dioceses in collaboration with the state agencies to establish peace structures at the county/diocese levels and use the reformed bandits to champion the peace initiatives in the region.
“We want to have engagements and start the process of coordination and implementation of peace initiatives in the region. We want to use reformed bandits to be instruments of peace in the region and extend invitation to other peace actors,” said the bishops in a statement read by bishop John Mbinda of Lodwar diocese in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County on Wednesday.
Those present included Bishop Dominic Kimengich of Eldoret Diocese, Bishop Henry Juma (Kitale) and Joseph Mbatia (Nyahururu), Hieronimus Joya (Maralal).
The event was also attended by Governors Jeremiah Lomurkal (Turkana), Stephen Sang (Nandi) and Lakipia deputy governor Reuben Kamuri and his counterpart Yulita Cheruiyot and county commissioner John Korir (Elgeyo Marakwet) and Stephen Kutwa (Baringo) were present.
Political leaders pledged their commitment to provide resources to support the initiative to end acrimony in the region.
Governors Sang and Lomurkai noted that those political leaders involved in fanning insecurity were named.
“Politicians are the ones who fuel insecurity who want to have land expansion because of resources . . . Let us identify those fueling and publicly mentioned,” said Governor Lomurkai.
He added: “Leaders are prone to create scenarios and tell people to raid . . . some of these leaders are using insecurity to galvanize their communities to back their political ambitions should be called out.”
Mr Sang, also North Rift Economic bloc (Noreb) chairperson, explained that they will host a peace summit next month in Kitale on July 7-9 to bring together religious leaders and political leaders to champion for integration among the communities.
The county boss lamented that banditry had resulted in loss of lives, livehood and displacement in the region.
“Time has come for us to call out those political leaders who are involved in fueling insecurity. It should not be business as usual to lose innocent lives yet leaders continue to benefit from the enterprise funded by cattle rustling,” noted Governor Sang.
He asked the Ministry of Interior and security Agencies to hold to account political leaders involved in fueling the insecurity in the region.
“The schools are attacked by banditry and we need more resources to re-build these schools . . . we now have police and military in the region and if you look at the amount of money spent to keep them over there, then you realize we need peace initiatives so that more resources can be channeled to rebuild schools and roads,” added Mr Sang.
He added that governors are rooting for mobilizing more resources to the region to ensure economic transformation is realized.
The bloc, he said, is also working on plans to mobilize resources to tackle gender issues such as female genital mutilation (FGM), Gender Based violence and early marriages in the community.
Mr Kamuri said that the Lakipia County had embarked on fodder production in the over 30 conservancies to reduce conflicts as result of lack of pasture.
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