Pastoral communities urged to look for ways to end perennial clashes – KBC

Former National Cohesion and Integration Commission chair Francis ole Kaparo has urged leaders from the pastoral communities to look for ways of ending the perennial clashes.

Mr Kaparo who spoke when he met members from the warring Samburu and Pokoto communities said that leaders and community elders must be committed to look for a lasting solution that will help bring to an end banditry attacks and cattle rustling.

The former NCIC chair regretted that the two communities have been embroiled in conflict and retaliatory attacks resulting from cattle rustling.

He accused leaders from pastoral communities and professionals in Laikipia, Samburu, Baringo and Isiolo counties of failing to end the rising cases of clashes that have led to senseless killings among the communities.

He was speaking at Ngoisusu village in Sosian ward of Laikipia North Constituency during a reconciliation meeting between the Samburu and Pokot communities aimed at achieving reconciliation between the two communities.

Kaparo challenged the warring tribes to embrace traditional moral values that would foster peace among them and called on the political class to shift their focus from politics of ethnic competition to politics of issues and development.

Kaparo said that pastoralist communities should not support leaders who incite them to fight.

Both the elders and moran warriors from Samburu and Pokot communities made resolutions that will further reconciliation and stop engaging in cattle rustling and retaliatory attacks.

Kaparo who once served as Laikipia East MP, an assistant minister and Speaker of the National Assembly has been actively working to settle this conflict.

During the meeting elders were given the opportunity to share their opinions and suggestions on the current conflicts with all the participants agreeing that political leaders have the mandate to unite people since these are their electorates.

Elders from the Pokot community agreed to help return the 79 heads of cattle that had been stolen from Richard Lemuna three weeks ago.

Tyati East OCPD Kobia Bariu cited the proliferation of small arms and light weapons as a trigger to this conflict.

He encouraged the pastoral communities to ensure that they take their children to school saying education is one of the best tools that will help tackle the challenges bedeviling the region.