Over 4,000 crude weapons used in ethnic clashes set ablaze
By Robert Kiplagat
| Sep. 21, 2020
Narok County Security committee has set ablaze about 6,000 quivers, arrows, bows and spears recovered in the volatile Narok South Sub-County to mark the International Peace Day.
The 5,700 crude weapons include 1600 bows, 4,100 arrows and 13 spears confiscated following the deadly ethnic conflicts between the Kipsigis and Maasai communities.
The event was attended by legislators from the Senate and National Assembly committee as well as members of the National Cohesion and Equal Opportunity as well as the National Cohesion and Integration Committee (NCIC) who called for lasting peace.
The senators led by chairs of the committees Naomi Siyonga and her National Assembly counterpart Charles Were (Kasipul Kapondo) called for equity in resources and job opportunities as a way of creating permanent peace.
Meanwhile, Bomet Senator Christopher Lang'at accused the government of engaging in double standards in allocating title deeds.
"For the country to have lasting peace the government must tell its citizens the truth. It is sad that one government issues title deeds then the next regime nullifies the same. There ought to be consistency," he said.
Lang'at also called on the NCIC to investigate state appointments claiming that out of more than 400 top appointments one community takes the lion's share at the expense of the other 42 communities.
Were echoed Lang'ats sentiments, saying the government should be fair to all in carrying out evictions in the country.
"If some people encroached into government forest let evictions be done without sparing the "big fish". If the government does that then it creates a recipe for conflict," he said.
NCIC commissioner Sam Kona also called for political tolerance among Kenyans ahead of the 2022 General Election.
He also asked legislators to come up with the a law that will ensure politicians found inciting residents are barred from seeking elective posts during elections.
"To end incitement once and for all there must be a law that ensures punishment for hatemongers goes beyond the courts. There should be a law that deters them from getting elected," Kona said.