MARSABIT, Kenya, Jun 11 – The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has opened an office in Marsabit County as it seeks to restore peace in the region became more essential than before.
The government, according to NCIC commissioner Abduraziz Farah, is dedicated to finding a long-term solution to the ethnic tensions that have kept peace in Marsabit elusive for far too long.
Mr Farah said that security and peace issues prompted the necessity to devolve the commission’s services to the county level of Marsabit during a two-day peace building stakeholders event held at the Sand & Rock Resort in Marsabit town.
The commissioner stated that the complications that plague the county’s tranquility required swift action to prevent the disruption of lives, property devastation, and hindered progress.
“The commission will be able to respond to issues as they arose here in Marsabit as opposed to doing from Nairobi” he said and thanked the International Organization for Peacebuilding (Interpeace) for sponsoring the initiative.
The forum was held at the height of a security operation and a dusk to dawn curfew, which is now in its second month, as a way of complementing the security restoration effort, according to Marsabit County Commissioner Paul Rotich.
The government was determined to pacify the region, Rotich told the participants, who included residents from all communities in the county, the head of Operation Rejesha Amani Marsabit commissioner of police Bernard Mbatha, and Interpeace senior regional representative for East and Central Africa Dr Theo Hollander.
“Restoration of security must go hand in hand with peace building to make sure the gains that will be made are not lost” he said.
The county commissioner bemoaned the delayed surrender of illicit firearms in civilian hands, claiming that the 200 firearms and 3000 bullets collected so far represented only 1% of the target.
Rotich stated that the region was awash in illegal firearms, and that the plan to collect them would be carried out until everyone was unarmed.
He stated that the administration was concerned about the county’s poor growth despite its vast resources, and that attempts were being made to correct the pattern.
“The government is investing heavily in this county in terms of security and finances so as to tap the existing potential in tourism, mining, trade and agriculture in a bid to transform the lives of the residents,” he pointed out and disclosed that the establishment of a government chemist was the latest move towards that endeavor.
Residents have been urged to completely support the ongoing security operation by the county government, which has subsequently established a department to foster peace and harmony.
At the price of development, according to Deputy Governor Solomon Gubo, a lot of resources are being poured towards the peace-building process and settling community problems.
He urged residents to work with security agents by sharing useful information about crimes and suspected.
In the coming nine months, NCIC, in conjunction with Interpeace, will lead a sustained peace-building process in Marsabit aimed at repairing and rebuilding the county by renewing trust and acceptance across communities.
The most recent meeting was the culmination of a series of previous intercommunal peace meetings organized by the government, NCIC, and other parties.