SOMIRENEC Organizes Peace Caravan To Promote Peace

Eleanor Roosevelt once said that it is not enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it is not enough to believe in it. One must work at it.

Therefore, the Social Ministry Research Network (SOMIRENEC) in collaboration with Tangaza University College held a successful peace caravan whose theme was ‘Kudumisha Amani Wakati wa Uchaguzi ni Jukumu Letu’, (‘Maintaining Peace during the General Elections is our Responsibility’).

The activity brought together peace actors within West Pokot County who included the National Government, County Government of West Pokot, Peace Monitors and local artists. The Pokot Central Sub-county Assistant County Commissioner, Erick Okachi, urged the residents to observe peace before, during and after the electioneering period noting that elections come only once and life goes on as usual afterward. Bamfort Surwat, the Pokot Central Police Commander, commended the respective stakeholders for organizing the peace caravan.

He exhorted all those vying for different elective posts to maintain the peace as they moved around campaigning. Wycliffe Simiyu from SOMIRENEC noted that without peace, development is impossible to attain.

“You cannot carry out your business or farming successfully if there is no peace. Elections will come and go, but your neighbor will still be with you. I urge you all to maintain peace and avoid being used by politicians to spread hate,” He said.

The peace caravan, which was flagged off in Turkwel by the Pokot Central Sub-county Police Commander had stopovers at Nasolot, Sarmach, Lami Nyeusi, Orwa and Sigor.

The program is supported by the European Union (EU) through the Ustahimilivu resilience project, implemented under a consortium of partners among them the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT), E4Impact Foundation, European Committee for Training and Agriculture (CEFA), AMREF Health Africa and the West Pokot County Government with the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) playing the oversight role.