NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 14 – The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has called on communities to reject criminal activities that fuel conflict, loss of lives, and destruction of property, urging them to embrace Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR) mechanisms to maintain peace.
Speaking during a joint county security meeting at Kiango Market on the Kisii-Narok border in Transmara West Sub-county, NCIC Deputy Director for Peacebuilding and Reconciliation, Liban Guyo, emphasized the need for dialogue in resolving disputes.
“Let us shun criminal activities that trigger conflict, loss of lives and destruction of property, and practice alternative dispute resolution to amicably resolve conflicts in our communities,” he urged.
Guyo commended security teams and local peace committees for their swift intervention in quelling a recent conflict in the region.
He further reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to strengthening community dialogue initiatives, with a particular focus on engaging women and youth, alongside security agencies, to ensure sustainable peace.
“NCIC will continue to spearhead community dialogues and actively engage women and youth, together with security teams, to sustain peace,” said Guyo.
The meeting held on Wednesday brought together local leaders, Community elders and security officials to deliberate on strategies for preventing violence and enhancing social cohesion in the region.
Nyanza Regional Commissioner Gloria Mworia and her Rift Valley counterpart, Abdi Hassan, condemned the loss of lives and destruction of property caused by the conflict.
The commissioners commended the elders and peace committees for their role in maintaining peace and their collaboration with security teams.
Mworia urged residents to refrain from politicizing or ethnicizing security matters and to shun political incitement.
“Avoid putting ethnic tags on criminal activities and let the law take its course, and amplify the voices of women and youth in peacebuilding processes,” she said.
NCIC reiterated its role in promoting peaceful co-existence among communities, particularly in areas prone to conflict.
The Commission affirmed that calm has been restored in the Kisii-Narok border region where violent clashes earlier this month claimed three lives and left several people injured.
The conflict had led to mass displacement of residents and the closure of schools, but people are now returning back to their homes, and learning institutions have reopened.