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Kenya: New Minister Takes the Bull By the Horns in Grazing Dispute
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The Nation (Nairobi)
24 April 2008
Posted to the web 24 April 2008
Kennedy Masibo
Nairobi
Samburu West member of Parliament Simeon Lesrima is in a spot.
Before his appointment as Internal Security assistant minister last week, Mr Lesrima had walked out of a peace initiative between the Pokot and Samburu communities.
The initiative, dubbed the Naivasha Peace Accord and reached about year ago, was tottering on the brink of collapse, forcing leaders to go back to the drawing board.
But the process had been thrown into jeopardy after Mr Lesrima vowed not to attend any more meetings.
The Samburu West MP was unhappy that following a mediation meeting in Nakuru two weeks ago, Kirisia Division was attacked by bandits.
The meeting had been convened as a follow-up to the Naivasha Accord to bring the leaders back on talking terms and reconcile the warring communities.
Robbing at will
Mr Lesrima said the bandits had attacked an anti-stock theft unit and administration police camp and was also concerned that the bandits had taken over the Rumuruti-Maralal road where they were robbing people at will.
"Why is that just two days after the peace mediation, the hostilities are still there? Is it that the leaders did not inform the aggressors of the initiative?" he asked.
The legislator accuses Pokot leaders and the Government of insincerity in resolving the conflict.
When the accord was signed, he says, the ceasefire was never implemented, leading to loss of life and theft of livestock.
Leaders from both sides were, during the Nakuru meeting, trying to come to terms with what could have gone wrong as they accused each other of reneging on the peace accord.
The leaders in the mediation talks, which are being spearheaded by a conflict mediation team from the Office of the President, include assistant Minister Asman Kamama, who is also the Baringo East MP.
Samburu East MP Raphael Letimalo is also a member.
The peace committee chairmen of both communities, Mr Samuel Likamar (Baringo) and his Samburu counterpart Moses Lenairoshi are also in the peace initiative.
Nominated MP Maison Leshoomo told the Nakuru meeting that leaders should revisit the Naivasha Accord to ascertain its achievements and shortcomings.
She said in some areas of both districts peace has been maintained because the peace committees had been able to reconcile the two communities.
Mr Kamama says the pastoralist communities are politically mature and should act responsibly. He, however, cites lack of education as the biggest hurdle.
"Unless something is done soon, another generation will still find itself steeped in the tradition of cattle rustling," Mr Kamama said.
Forgive and forget
The Government, he suggests should look into the problems facing the pastoralists and why they engage in cattle rustling and other related activities.
He wants the Government to also set aside Sh25 billion to improve infrastructure and education development for the youth.
Mr Kamama asserts that the Naivasha Accord is the road map for peace and states that about 20 per cent of the resolutions passed in Naivasha had been implemented.
The accord had recommended that the two communities embrace peace unconditionally and reaffirm their commitment to the renewal of a 1913 peace covenant in which elders from the two communities took an oath against fighting each other.
But this covenant, according to Mr Lenairoshi, the chairman of the Samburu District Peace Committee, has been violated.
"Soon, the oath will turn against us since we have broken it," he said.
The Naivasha Accord had also resolved that the communities would forgive and forget any historical claims arising from past conflicts.
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Leaders agreed to establish grazing committees to specifically uphold grazing rights.
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