Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i has urged elders from Kisumu and Nandi counties to be in the forefront in peace building following recent animosity at the boarder of Nandi and Muhoroni.
Matiang’i who spoke in Nakuru on Tuesday during a consultative peace Forum for council of elders from Nandi and Kisumu counties,said that given the influence elders have in the society they stand a better chance of of convincing the young generation on the need to uphold peace and co- existence.
The CS noted that elders in any community are the custodians of peace and they should work with the government to ensure the same.
“55 years after independence we should not be talking about border conflicts but we should be focusing on development.You as elders you are the custodians of peace in your communities and you have to ensure the same”he said.
However, Dr.Matiang’i warned that the government will not hesitate to act swiftly to curb any cases of insecurity whenever intervention by the council of elders fails.
He said that the government will review all administrative boundaries in the country with a view to replacing interdicted government officers and also those who have retired.
Further the government will get additional 500 police vehicles this financial year through lease as a way of boosting security.
“We need to focus n development as a country but that can only happen if we have peace which is paramount to all of us” he said.
Kisumu governor Governor Prof. Anyang Nyong’o- Kisumu and his Nandi counterpart- Stephen Sang pledged to support the peace initiative while using the laid down institutions in law.
The two said that issues of boarder conflict and cattle theft between the Luo and Kalenjin communities should be a thing of the past in the region.
They appreciated the fact that institutions like IEBC and the National land commission- NLC have the capacity to address problems arising from conflict over boarders.
The meeting was also attended by Regional coordinators for Nyanza and Rift valley as well as County commissioners,Nakuru Deputy Governor Dr.Erick Korir among other officials.
PHOTO/Pristone Mambili:Interior CS Dr.Fred Mataing’i addressing in Nakuru on Tuesday during a consultative peace Forum for council of elders from Nandi and Kisumu counties.
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