The Chairperson of Kitui Women for Peace and Security Network,
Patricia Mutemi, speaking during the Mwingi peace forum on Friday/Musembi Nzengu.
Mwingi Central Deputy County Commissioner Catherine Njoroge, her
Garissa counterpart Colenius Mbithi and the Assistant County Commissioner for
Nguni in Kitui, James Munene follow proceedings during the Mwingi peace dialogue
forum at the Mwingi Resource Centre on Friday/Musembi Nzengu.
Former National Cohesion and Integration Commission commissioner and peace advocate, Fatuma Mohammed, speaking during the Mwingi peace forum on Friday/Musembi Nzengu.The government’s failure to take decisive action against
perpetrators of the often-fatal conflicts between Kitui residents and
encroaching camel herders has been blamed for the continued cycle of violence.
A women-led peace dialogue forum bringing together representatives of pastoralist communities from Garissa and Tana River counties and farming communities from Kitui on Friday called for the arrest and prosecution of all those responsible for killings linked to the conflicts.
The forum, hosted by Kitui Women for Peace and Security under the leadership of chairperson Patricia Mutemi, resolved that illegal firearm holders among camel herders who kill with impunity must be tracked down and brought to justice.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the National Government Administration officers.
They included Mwingi Central deputy county commissioner Catherine Njoroge, her Garissa counterpart Colenius Mbithi and Nguni assistant county commissioner James Munene.
Mutemi said the meeting was prompted by the recent killing of seven people in the Kwa Kamari area of Tseikuru Ward, Kitui County, by suspected camel herders, as well as the machete attack that claimed the life of a schoolboy in Ukasi ward three days later.
She said the meeting at the Mwingi Town Resource Centre, established an inter-county peace committee comprising representatives from the three counties.
The committee will soon visit conflict hotspots in Kitui to promote peace, dialogue and harmonious coexistence among the affected communities, she added.
Former National Cohesion and Integration Commission commissioner and peace advocate Fatuma Mohammed said women spearheaded the initiative because they bear the heaviest burden during conflicts.
The forum was convened under the theme, “Women Building Peace”.
“We were deeply disturbed by the recent fatal clashes between camel herders and local communities in Kitui, which have disproportionately affected women and families. As peace champions, we found the situation unacceptable,” Mohammed said.
She noted that the meeting brought together women affected by the violence to share their experiences, examine the root causes of the recurring conflicts and propose practical solutions.
“The objective was to explore sustainable ways of resolving the perennial conflicts between Kitui farmers and camel herders, which have had devastating social and economic consequences,” she said.
Mohammed, who also previously served as a commissioner with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority, said the forum was not advocating for the eviction of herders.
Instead, it was seeking mechanisms that would enable the communities to coexist peacefully, she said.
“We want to ensure there are no future retaliatory attacks from either side and that all individuals involved in criminal activities are held accountable for their actions,” she added.
She further said participants resolved that no community should shelter criminals or individuals illegally possessing firearms. Instead, such suspects should be reported and handed over to law enforcement agencies.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission coordinator for Mwingi Central Stephen Kimongo lamented that the hostilities between Kitui residents and invading pastoralists had severely hampered voter registration in Mwanzele during the recently concluded exercise.
“IEBC officials had a very difficult time registering voters in the Mwanzele area. Unfortunately, many eligible voters missed the opportunity to register. Their constitutional right to participate in choosing their leaders has effectively been undermined,” he said.
