Mombasa and Kilifi Counties have committed to enhance peace among communities in a bid to resolve emerging security challenges as well as come with key resolutions towards building bridges for sustainable peace and cohesion in the region.
The two forums held on separate dates brought together various stakeholders comprising of national and county governments, religious leaders, community elders, representatives from the private sector, learning institutions, and peace actors at grassroots level for an interactive session on how communities living in the region could coexist peacefully.
Speaking during the Mombasa forum, Mombasa County Commissioner, Evans Achoki applauded the efforts of the various peace actors in ensuring peace prevailed during the electioneering period.
Mombasa and Kilifi Counties were identified as potential violence hotspots in the run-up to the August 8 general elections and required close monitoring to calm tension and reduce possibility of violence among the residents living in the two areas.
He noted that the relative peace witnessed during the period was a result of coordination between the state and non-state actors who worked behind the scenes to prevent possible chaos, a link that has been missing in previous elections.
“Peace committees formed in the six sub-counties were effective. We shared information. Issues were addressed swiftly thanks to the support from Act!” Feisal Bahero, a representative of the District Peace Committee, said.
In Kilifi County, his counterpart Matu Mutindika, Kilifi County Commissioner, urged leaders to be mindful of their utterances and avoid statements that can incite violence among their followers. He thanked the security agencies for their commitment to duty and sacrifices they made, but also challenged them to ensure that they carry out their duties with fairness to win the confidence of the communities they serve.
“Now elections are over. Let us join hands in denouncing political rhetoric and ethnic hatred and keep our County safe” he said.
The commissioners commended Act! for organizing the forums at time when the region is yearning for peace in the post-election period while maintaining that the time for communities to live peacefully is now.
Felesia Odada, Program Manager, Act! said the success of the program is largely attributed to the efforts of the various conflict management panels and peace actors in ensuring peace and unity in the region. She noted that the two forums were timely for stakeholders to share lessons from the implementation of peacebuilding, healing and reconciliation interventions.
Mombasa Devolution and Public Administration Executive Seth Odongo said the county government was committed to working with the national government and civil society to promote peace in the area. He stressed the need for the community to support the police by providing them with useful information to aid their operations and response. He urged everyone to treat each other as members of one family regardless of their religion, tribe or political affiliation as a step towards healing and reconciliation following the highly contested 2017 elections that left many fractured and disillusioned.
Other key institutions present during the forums included, the National Steering Committee on Peacebuilding and Conflict Management (NSC), the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).
Participants during the interactive session urged both the national and county leadership to work together in enhancing peace in the region. They noted that, political differences have slowed down development of the area. They reiterated their commitment to continue sharing crucial information with the various security agencies in order to ensure peace and security is maintained in the County.
The County Dialogue forums are part of the Electoral Violence and Conflict Management Program that seeks to bring communities together to maintain peace and promote national unity. The program is made possible with support from USAID through the Kenya Electoral Assistance Program.
