Take care of border beacons, County commissioner urges residents

Loitoktok Thursday June 15, 2023

KNA by Kimani Tirus/Stephen Lemein

Communities living in Kajiado County bordering Tanzania have been asked to own and take care of beacons along the border as the government launches the establishment of more beacons.

During community sensitisation meetings held on Wednesday in Tanzania and Kenya, Kajiado County Commissioner, Felix Watakila asked the locals along the borders to be good ambassadors of safeguarding the beacons to be constructed.

Watakila appreciated the communities for coexisting peacefully as brothers and sisters which has helped businesses to blossom.

The county commissioner also urged the residents to own up the project and support the government in ensuring its success for their own benefit.

He further said the project will benefit the locals with labour being sourced locally as well as construction materials.

However, Watakila called upon the communities along the borders to ensure they conduct legal businesses and avoid illegal ones that can land them into problems and being on the wrong side of the law.

He also urged the residents to be reporting those who might vandalise the beacons adding that this will be expensive to both states in terms of replacement of the beacons.

The county commissioner also urged the residents to be wary of criminals among them who involve themselves in crimes and cross the border.

Abdalla Bakari who is in charge of Rombo ward in Tanzania urged the residents to shun away from speculations that there might be precious jewels hidden under the beacons such as mercury, gold and diamond which has led to destruction of the beacons in the process of trying to get the jewels.

Secretary, International Boundaries, Kenya, Julius Rotich said the government of Kenya in conjunction with the government of Tanzania has embarked on replacing destroyed beacons as well as establishing new beacons along the Kenya -Tanzania border all the way from Lake Victoria to Vanga.

Rotich said there has been a challenge by locals of identifying beacons because of distance apart as well some have been destroyed. However, he noted that the process will not adjust the boundary but rather the process is aimed at remarking it and establishing new beacons.

Rotich allayed fear of the residents in Entonet area who expressed concern that their title deeds indicate their land touch the border that they will be compensated after marking of buffer zones.

Courtesy ; K. N. A