marsabit county professionals meeting resolutions

7/28/2019 Marsabit County Professionals Meeting Resolutions

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Marsabit County Professionals MeetingKICC Shimba Hills Hall14 Jan 2012

Key highlight and Resolutions of the meeting

Background

Incensed by senseless killings in Moyale and elsewhere in the County, the Professionals fromthe County met on the said date at KICC to deliberate on how to cease hostilities in Moyale andcome up with a road map for sustainable peace. The meeting brought together allthe electedMPs in Marsabit County, Permanent Secretary (PS)-Ministry for the Development ofNorthernKenya, Kenyas Ambassador to Austria and over 50 professionals and business peopleresidingin Nairobi.

This meeting was a follow up to an earlier meeting that was held on 23 Dec 2011at Bomas ofKenya that also sought to intervene in the Moyale crisis. However, this meeting

had anexpanded attendance and brought on board most of the professionals and businesspeoplefrom the county.

The meeting lamented that what started as a resource feud between Garre and Boranacommunities in Ethiopia has spilled-over to Kenya bringing in its wake unprecedented killings,displacements and loss of property. The meeting was informed that hundreds of Kenyans havesince fled to Ethiopia to take refuge as a result of the ongoing clashes.

The meeting was also concerned that the skirmishes in Moyale might spill-over tothe whole ofthe County if the conflict is not resolved the earliest possible.

The meeting was also wary of the potential of the ongoing conflicts in the County to scuttledevolution and deny the citizens the full benefits of devolution. It was also noted thatcompetition over pasture and water are increasingly becoming the symptoms of larger conflictissues in the County and elsewhere, with political competition suspected to be one of thetriggers of the current skirmishes.

The present leaders urged all those eyeing for the various elective posts in theCounty tocampaign in a peaceful way without necessarily stalking relations between communities and orgroups in the County. Leaders were impressed upon to weigh their words before they utterthem. For instance, the meeting could not understand why an innocent motor-cyclist (BodaBoda operator) was sprayed with eight bullets for no apparent reason. This motor


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cyclist was


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not looking for pasture or votes so there is need to investigate further the genesis and forcesbehind the current wave of clashes in Moyale and areas around Marsabit town.stigate further the genesis and forcesbehind the current wave of clashes in Moyale and areas around Marsabit town.

The meeting was also concerned that at least five schools remain closed in Moyale and this isaffecting education standards in the District unless a quick solution to halt the hostilities isfound.

It was also disheartening to note that since the clashes in Moyale began, no single person hasbeen arrested or held responsible for the killings, arsons and displacements. The meeting wasunhappy with the pace of the Provincial Administration and Security Agencies inresponding tothe clashes.

Resolutions.

Based on these highlights and acknowledging the fact that there is a serious problem inMarsabit County as evidenced by the ethnic clashes in Moyale and elsewhere, themeetingcame up with the following resolutions.

The committee of 10 Professionals (4 from Moyale and 2 each from North Horr, Sakuand Laisamis) that had been formed earlier was endorsed and mandated to spearheadthe peace process (caravan)

That a Committee for Professionals residing in Moyale be also established to link up andwork closely with the Nairobi based committee of professionalsThat the committees of the Professionals both in Nairobi and Moyale are to support andgive impetus to the ongoing peace process in Moyale and elsewhere in the CountyThat the committee to select 15 professionals, business people, leaders and elders to go

and spearhead the peace processes in Moyale and elsewhere in the County

That a series of peace dialogues be held in Moyale and MarsabitThat the team from Nairobi to hold meetings with members of the respective District

Security and Intelligence Committees (DSICs) in the County particularly Moyale.

That a meeting be convened after the peace dialogues to evaluate results of such


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dialogues as well as evaluate past and ongoing conflict management initiatives to limitrepeating the same mistakes/omissions others have committed/omitted and chart away forward for subsequent peace processes

That elders from non-conflicting communities (including cross-border neighbors)to beapproached and urged to mediate the Borana Gabbra skirmishes in MoyaleThat the government should be seen enforcing the rule of law in a fair and impartialmanner in Moyale and elsewhere in the County in order to address impunity


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That there is a need to borrow a leaf from the North Eastern Province peace modelwhere government officers and community leaders were held personally responsibleforcrime occurring in their areas of jurisdiction.

That the government should consider transferring members of DSIC who have failedintheir duties to prevent and or manage crime, including those who have since taken sidesin the conflict

That there is need to investigate further the root cause and genesis of the currentskirmishes, having in mind that Moyale has been peaceful in the last four years

That crime should be individualized. The whole community should not be victimized forcrimes committed by individual

That the public should be encouraged to name and shame warlords in the County

That the National Cohesion and Integration Commission should take action againstthose spreading hate messages in the social networks

That the government should identify and repatriate all foreigners in Moyale to theircountry of origin

That professional should not corrupt government officers by way of raising moneytobail out their kinsmen who have been arrested on suspicion of committing crime orinciting violence

That all the communities in the County to disband any militia group they may beharboring or seeking its services


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marsabit county professionals meeting resolutions

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