North Rift elders call for disarmament of civilians
The elders address the press after a peace meeting organised by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission in Eldoret on September 18, 2019. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
A group of elders from the North Rift region has urged the authorities to identify and register all firearms in the hands of civilians.
The over 150 seniors from Elgeyo-Marakwet, West Pokot and Baringo counties said there are still criminals terrorising residents in the volatile Kerio Valley.
CONFLICT PREVENTION
They spoke Wednesday in Eldoret during a conference on conflict prevention and resolution under the auspices of the Cheptebo Declaration signed earlier this year.
The two-day meeting brought together officials from the National Cohesion and Integration Commission who are seeking to reunite the conflicting communities in the region.
“The government should disarm civilians so that the region enjoys peace like other parts of the country,” said Mzee William Lopetakao, a Pokot peace ambassador.
He said residents in the region need to start living freely without fear of being shot at by bandits.
