Turkana stakeholders foster unity to resolve conflicts

Turkana,

Friday September 8,2023

KNA by Peter Gitonga  

The 5th annual Turkana Peace Actors Forum concluded Friday in Lokichar with participants calling for collaboration in applying peace building and conflict management strategies.

The four-day meeting discussions zeroed in on water scarcity as a conflict trigger, banditry along the Kitale-Lodwar highway, rising cases of armed robberies in urban centers, and the role of local leadership in promoting peace among neighboring communities.

The forum brought together participants from the national government's administration, representatives from the water sector, community leaders, and non-governmental and civil society organizations. The event was supported by USAID Nawiri and International Alert.

The County Secretary Peter Eripete emphasized the uniqueness of the peace and security challenges in different areas and urged actors to develop tailored interventions instead of relying on one-size-fits-all solutions.

He said the conflict triggered in Turkana South and East corridors, bordering neighbouring counties, significantly differs from those in Turkana West, Turkana North, and Loima, which border international borders.

The CS stressed the importance of involving local elders and communities to the peace forum to create effective homegrown solutions.

He also commended the establishment of a joint information desk to centralize communication and coordinate interventions to prevent duplication.

The Chair of the County Assembly’s Committee on Security, Public Service, Administration and Disaster Management, who is also the MCA for Lobokat Ward, Samuel Aliwo, praised the legislative framework for peace interventions citing the Peace Building and Conflict Management Act of 2022 and the corresponding policy document.

Aliwo encouraged peace actors to familiarise themselves with the Act and work within its legal framework.

He singled out the impact of conflict on issues like malnutrition in Turkana South and its effect on pastoralists in other parts of the county.

The MCA hailed the county's partnership with Peace Actors in building permanent houses for conflict survivors in Turkana East as a positive shift from temporary mud-walled shelters.

The Director for Peace Building and Conflict Management Geoffrey Apedor stressed the importance of joint planning and execution of interventions.

He believed that pooling resources would enhance emergency response and improve reactions to early warnings of conflict escalation.

Apedor also highlighted the wide-ranging impact of conflict on human livelihoods, including low enrollment, increased malnutrition, strained trade relations, and poverty, emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts.

Courtesy; KNA