ETHNIC VIOLENCE ALONG KERICHO AND KISUMU BORDER

The National Cohesion and Integration Commission is mandated to facilitate and promote equality of opportunity, good relations, harmony and peaceful coexistence between persons of the different ethnic and racial communities in Kenya, and to advise the Government on all aspects thereof.

The Commission strongly condemns the recent ethnic flare ups along the Kericho West /Nyakach Districts border that has resulted in the loss of lives, displacement and destruction of property. Regrettably, these incidents happened after the Commission had facilitated two inter-County Peace and Reconciliation Forums that brought together political and community leaders, youth and women leaders, peace actors, County government officials and security officers from both Kericho and Kisumu Counties. We urge the leadership and the residents of the affected area to embrace peaceful co-existence and harmonious living. Communal disputes should be resolved through dialogue.

We applaud the County governments and the security services for the initiatives they have put in place to quell this violence. Police should arrest criminals behind these heinous crimes. Individuals must not hide behind their respective communities for crimes they have committed individually. We appeal to members of the public to volunteer information on suspected criminals to the police as opposed to taking matters in their own hands such as killing of the suspected criminals.

We ask political leaders to stop politicizing the matter and refrain from making inflammatory statements and other activities that may contribute to further polarization of the communities.

HASSAN S. MOHAMED

COMMISSION SECRETARY