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17 MPs lead Kalenjin, Kisii in peace pact

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Published on Tuesday, 20 December 2011 13:36

TWO communities living along the Nyanza and Rift Valley border yesterday made a peace declaration in a meeting attended by 17 MPs from the two communities. Eldoret North MP William Ruto and Education minister Sam Ongeri led the two communities in making the declaration during the meeting at Chepilat in Sotik district.

The peace accord between the Kisii and Kalenjin communities will be signed in January 2012. The agreement was a culmination of several meetings involving elders and leaders from the two communities seeking peace and reconciliation. Ruto challenged those seeking the presidency to accept defeat and a political contest as a matter of life and death.

Ruto asked law enforcing agencies to stamp out stock theft saying it was one of the causes of sporadic violence between the two communities. “We should not fight over things like cattle rustling which can be dealt with by the law enforcing agencies once and for all,” Ruto said. He asked the government to start branding animals so that they would be identified and tracked when stolen. He asked farmers to keep dairy cattle noting that exotic ones are not easy to steal.

Speaking at the function Ongeri said peace along the boundary is paramount ahead of 2012 noting that there is a need for peaceful coexistence between the two communities. Ruto said there is no need for the two communities to engage in violent attacks because of cattle rustling that can be curbed.

The MP said that the problem along the border will only be solved if leaders from the two communities work together. He challenged leaders to avoid hate speech and incitement when campaigning. Area MP Joyce Laboso said that she will be championing for peace amongst the communities because it is necessary for the communities to live as brothers and sisters.

She commended the council of elders from Kisii and Kipsigis communities for their efforts in trying to broker peace and reconciliation between the two communities. “I want to tell our people that peace is paramount. That is why there is a need for them to live harmoniously,” she said. North Mugirango/Borabu MP Wilfred Ombui whose constituency was worst hit during post election violence said he will not want to witness what happened in the last general election adding that the era of violence was long gone.

He said they will continue holding more meetings with leaders noting that yesterday’s meeting was an indication that leaders have chosen to work together for the sake of peace. “We don’t want to see a recurrence of what we saw in 2007 just because of an election,” the MP said. Those who attended the meeting were Roads minister Franklin Bett, MPs Benjamin Langat, Isaac Ruto, Kazungu Kambi, Walter Nyambati, Beatrice Kones, George Nyamweya, Robert Monda, Julius Kones, Richard Onyonka, Charles Keter, Joshua Kutuny.

Chairman of Kipsigis' Muyook Council of Elders Josiah Sang and Abagusii Council of Elders chairman Araka Matundura said they will go on with their meetings until people see the essence of maintaining peace. They identified cattle rustling, hate speech and land disputes as the major causes of attacks along the border.