After the guns, can dialogue bring lasting peace to Kerio Valley?

After recovering hundreds of illegal firearms, the Government is facing the harder question: how to make peace last in Kenya’s conflict-hit Kerio Valley.

With more than 350 firearms and 2,500 rounds of ammunition recovered in Elgeyo Marakwet County alone, authorities are shifting their focus to dialogue, sports and grassroots engagement to tackle the disputes behind years of banditry, cattle raids and retaliatory attacks.

The new strategy will take centre stage during this year’s Mashujaa Day celebrations, with communities affected by insecurity expected to engage the national and county governments, security agencies, community leaders, religious organisations and other stakeholders on ways of consolidating peace.

Part of the celebrations will be held in Marakwet East Sub-County, with the wider three-county event bringing together Uasin Gishu, Nandi and Elgeyo Marakwet in what the Government says is a deliberate effort to use sports and community forums to promote peaceful coexistence and youth empowerment.

The national celebrations will be held at Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret on October 20, marking the culmination of a month-long sporting extravaganza spread across the three North Rift counties.

In Marakwet East, forums will seek to address the root causes of recurring conflict and promote peaceful coexistence among communities, Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has said.

Meeting political leaders from the region on preparations for the upcoming Mashujaa Day celebrations, the CS said the Government was combining security operations with community engagement as it sought to consolidate security gains in the Kerio Valley.

“We have brought together stakeholders from the national and county levels as part of a wider strategy to address insecurity and promote peaceful coexistence among pastoral communities,” Mr Murkomen said during a Mashujaa Day Sports Forum in Eldoret.

The peace initiative will run alongside the ongoing operation to recover illegal firearms and disrupt criminal networks that have contributed to insecurity in parts of the Kerio Valley.

Mr Murkomen said the region was now enjoying peace following the recovery of illegal firearms, with the disarmament operation helping reduce incidents of armed attacks and cattle raids.

He said national and county governments, security agencies and communities must work together to ensure the relative calm in the Kerio Valley is sustained.

According to Elgeyo Marakwet County Police Commander Peter Mulinge, as of last week, more than 350 guns and 2,500 rounds of ammunition had been recovered in the region.

However, he warned that some individuals are still in possession of illegal firearms. We are asking them to surrender the weapons or face arrest,” he warned.

The Government has in recent years intensified efforts to recover illegal guns in the North Rift, particularly in areas where armed cattle rustling, bandit attacks and retaliatory violence have remained a challenge. Marakwet East has been among the areas targeted by security agencies as part of efforts to rid the region of illegal firearms.

But officials say taking guns out of circulation is only part of the solution. Lasting peace, they argue, will require communities to confront the disputes that have repeatedly triggered violence.

The availability of illicit firearms has often made such conflicts deadlier, with disputes over livestock, pasture and water sometimes escalating into armed confrontations.

Mr Murkomen said peace could not be achieved through security operations alone and called for greater involvement by local communities in efforts to address the causes of conflict.

“We aim to ensure that total peace is maintained in Kerio Valley. Communities need to support security agencies by providing information on illegal firearms and individuals involved in criminal activities,” he said.

Sh63m sports tournament joins peace campaign

A key component of the new peace push will be a Sh63 million sports tournament bringing together Uasin Gishu, Nandi and Elgeyo Marakwet counties.

The three counties will co-host this year’s Mashujaa Day celebrations, with the national fete scheduled for Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret on October 20.

The celebrations will culminate in a month-long sporting extravaganza, with football and volleyball competitions starting at ward level before progressing to the sub-county and county stages.

CS Murkomen announced that Sh63 million had been set aside for the tournament, with cash prizes, trophies and development support for winning teams from the ward level through to the county finals.

The CS said the decision to co-host the celebrations among the three North Rift counties was deliberate, with sport being used as a tool for peace-building and youth empowerment in a region that has in the past been affected by cattle rustling and border conflicts.

“This sports event is one way of promoting peace within the three counties. We want to keep the youth busy and ready to battle it out for the top prize. When our youth are in the field playing, they are not engaging in activities that bring insecurity,” he said during the launch of the Mashujaa Day Sporting Tournament.

He added: “This is the President’s tournament and we want it to be about the people at the bottom where the winners will be awarded after every stage.”

The winning county in football and volleyball for both men and women will take the largest share of the kitty, while individual awards for Most Valuable Players, top scorers and best setters have also been lined up.

Organisers are also planning a marathon featuring elite and upcoming athletes, with the prize money still being worked out with Athletics Kenya.

The county finals will be played on the afternoon of October 20 at Kipchoge Keino Stadium, immediately after President William Ruto’s Mashujaa Day speech.

Fresh talent over established stars

In a move aimed at ensuring fairness and discovering new talent, the Interior CS said players already featuring in the FKF Premier League, National Super League and Kenya Volleyball Federation leagues from the three counties would not be allowed to participate.

He said the tournament was intended to showcase untapped talent from villages and estates rather than recycle established players.

“Those who are playing in the league from the three counties will not be allowed to play because it’s meant to showcase talent. We want the same clubs to get fresh blood from the President’s tournament,” he said.

“This is a scouting ground. We have scouts from top clubs, from the national teams, who will be watching and if you are already in the league, give a chance to your younger brother,” he stated.

The County Finals will therefore provide a national platform for emerging players, with organisers hoping the tournament will identify future players for top clubs and national teams.

Beyond the football pitch

The planned peace forums are expected to bring together elders, women, youth, religious leaders, elected leaders and other influential groups to identify local drivers of conflict and develop mechanisms for resolving disputes before they escalate into violence.

The peace-building initiative comes as the Government seeks to consolidate security gains in the wider North Rift, where insecurity has periodically been linked to armed cattle raids, revenge attacks and competition over grazing and water resources.

For residents of the Kerio Valley, insecurity has disrupted more than security. Livelihoods, education and movement have been affected, with some families forced to abandon their homes and livestock following attacks. Schools in areas affected by banditry have previously faced disruption, while health workers and other public servants have also been affected by insecurity in remote parts of the region.

The consequences have extended to families whose livelihoods depend on livestock and farming, with insecurity limiting movement and making it difficult for residents to tend to their homes, farms and animals.

Governors present at the sports tournament launch welcomed the initiative, saying it could also boost the local economy as fans travel across the three counties for matches.

Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii Chelilim said Eldoret’s hosting of the final would allow the newly elevated city to demonstrate its capacity after hosting several national events.

Leaders from Nandi and Elgeyo Marakwet said the ward-level games would help ensure that talent from across the region was not overlooked.

Follow our WhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.

• 

  Turkana oil: New project, old compensation questions

  National Treasury has set aside Sh200 million for the first phase of compensation.

• 

  Kilifi owes suppliers Sh10.7bn: Senators want 'defiant' governor Mung'aro to explain why

  Kilifi Governor under pressure to explain staggering debt the county is yet to settle.

• 

  Court rejects Nairobi County Assembly ‘ghost workers’ suit

  Petitioner had challenged the fitness of Kennedy Ng’ondi to serve as Nairobi County Assembly Speaker.

• 

  'You have 21 days': Kilifi County issues notice to Shakahola families

  Unclaimed bodies at the end of the period will be disposed of in accordance with the law.