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Residents from Lolomoloong and Amaiya areas in Samburu Central district have vowed to end their persistent attacks against each other over pastures and cattle rustling.

 

The residents said they have incurred huge losses as a result of the persistent conflicts that has been experienced in the area for the last six years saying they are now ready to end their animosity.

 

Speaking at a peace meeting yesterday (Sunday) held at Amaiya village in Longewan division, the residents drawn from both the Samburu and Pokot communities at the same time witnessed their young warriors meeting face-to-face with their long time rivals and agreed for cease fire.

It was their first time to meet in a peaceful environment since they started fighting over grazing pastures during a ceremony also graced by Laikipia West M.P Nderitu Mureithi, officers from the provincial administration among other guest’

 

“This is a great occasion for us as warriors to meet and share a piece of meet together with our neighbours” Said Lorku Lemaiya, a Samburu warrior, adding that “we have been suffering so much in the bush, we have lost our friends and animals and that is why we have now come to agree how to end this animosity and focus on other issues of development”.

 In Pictures

Maralal ACK diocesan Bishop Rev. Jacob Lesuuda said this was a breakthrough to the efforts that have been made to preach peace in the region saying the area has been lagging behind as the conflicts persists.

 

He said this was a wake-up call to individual who incite the young people to launch attacks against their neighbours saying their days were numbered.

 

He called on the government to move with speed to start initiating development agendas so as to give the young an environment in which they can engage in profitable activities.

 

“There is need to ensure the these young people are assisted to continue with their education so that they can be able to push for what they want in terms of development, the government also need to look into critical issues that need urgent attention at this time so that we do not experience these kind of animosity again’. He said.

 

The meeting facilitated by the Laikipia Peace Caravan has seen drastic fall in attacks between the two communities for since it started the peace campaign in the last three months.

 

The caravan spearheaded by professionals from the Samburu, Pokot, Turkana and Kikuyu communities from the region has been engaging village elders and the youths in the campaign to look for alternative ways to end the conflicts.

 

According to the their chairman Mr. Richard Lesiampe, this was a milestone as the efforts by the group continue to bare fruits and called for all stakeholders to join hands in ensuring that peaceful coexistence prevails in the northern part of the country.

 

He however noted that this was an anti hill task that required support from both the government and other well-wishers.

His sentiments were supported by Laikipia West M.P Nderitu Mureithi who expressed his optimism that peace would prevail.

 

Nderitu who is also an assistant minister for industrialization said the government was committed to pump in a considerable amount of resources in the region to fast track development projects.

 

“The government is committed to allocating more resources in this region so that area can experience development growth like any other part of the country. We know the area has not had any meaningful development due to these conflicts but we area optimistic that something will be achieved”. He said.

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