There is nothing more valuable in anyone’s life than peace, a refugee community representative in Kenya Gibert Ashugulu has said.
Ashugulu said neither an individual, nation nor the world can create wealth, and achieve development and prosperity without peace.
“In Congo, we had all this wealth; it’s a country of Gold, Diamond and Coal. But, it rambled down because of a lack of peace, and war. Wherever there is peace, there can be wealth, money and prosperity,” Ashugulu said.
He addressed the press during the International Day for Peace 2023 commemoration in Machakos County on Thursday. This year’s theme for the day was ‘Dumisha Amani’.
“I’m a refugee myself and have been in Kenya for 22 years. I fled to the country while I was very young, I’m now old,” Ashugulu recalled.
Ashugulu said his being in Kenya was a result of the consequences of war.
“My country Congo got into war in September 1996. That’s where and when people started fleeing that beautiful country. Without peace, there is no money. There is nothing which works that can run now. We currently have Sudanese, Rwandese and Ethiopians fleeing to Kenya,” he said.
He said Kenya has a sense of happiness and Kenyans are good people.
“You are good people. I have been here for 22 years and I’m okay. But, the status of being a refugee ties one. We don’t want to see a situation where our good people, Kenyans flee to other countries as refugees, you must reject that,” Ashugulu said.
Ashugulu said the war started in Congo like a very simple thing.
“It was like we were just pushing, moving and we would come back. But, it’s currently 22 years, almost 30 years because after you have destroyed your country, it’s very difficult to rebuild it. Other nations won’t help you,” he said.
He said they had lost almost 12 million people to war in Congo since 1996.
“That’s an entire country, the number of people who have died. Peace should be one of the things to be valued by Kenyans,” Ashugulu said.
Machakos deputy county commissioner David Rotich appealed to Machakos residents to continue maintaining peace in all aspects of their lives; families, learning institutions, business premises, streets and all sectors of the economy.
“Peace is a requisite of success in every endeavor be it in learning institutions, businesses, matatu sector or religious organizations,” Rotich said.
Rotich said as a national government, they were willing and ready to partner with all organizations that are focused on promoting messages of peace in the country.