A peace meeting aimed at resolving clashes along the
Kisii-Transmara border has commended ongoing efforts to restore stability.
The meeting, held on Wednesday at the volatile Kiango market, was attended by Nyanza Regional Commissioner Florence Mworoa and her Rift Valley counterpart, Abdi Hassan.
Officials from the National Cohesion and
Integration Commission (NCIC) also participated in the peace baraza, which
brought together peace committee members from both communities.
Mworoa and Hassan confirmed that normalcy had returned to
the troubled region and urged residents to uphold peace following a week of
heightened tensions.
“We came here to confirm that peace has indeed returned and
that people have resumed their normal lives,” Hassan said.
Mworoa echoed his sentiments, stating that security teams
had verified the restoration of peace and encouraging locals to continue
fostering harmony.
“We are pleased that peace has returned along the border,”
she said during the meeting at Kiango on Wednesday afternoon.
Liban Guyo, head of peacebuilding and reconciliation at
NCIC, emphasized the importance of sustaining the current peace through
continued interaction and engagement.
“This area has enjoyed peace for the last 20 years, and we
want to ensure that continues,” Guyo said.
The recent clashes between the Maasai and Kisii communities
erupted following a cattle theft incident, resulting in three fatalities and
the torching of large sugarcane farms.
The latest security meeting, led by the regional
commissioners, follows an earlier one held on Monday, chaired by Kisii County
Commissioner William Bet and his Narok counterpart, Reuben Lotiatia.
Governors Simba Arati (Kisii) and Patrick Ole Ntutu (Narok)
were among the political leaders who also called for peace during the Monday
meeting.
By Tuesday, business had resumed at Nyamaiya Market in the South Mugirango Constituency, with Kisii and Maasai traders engaging peacefully.
Similarly, Nyangusu Market in Bomachoge Borabu was fully operational, with
vendors from both communities conducting business as usual.
Livestock traders also carried out transactions without
incident at the Nyamaiya and Nyangusu border markets.
During the Monday peace meeting, political leaders pledged
to promote harmony and address the root causes of the skirmishes.
Residents expressed relief at the return to normalcy as Kisii farmers began assessing the damage to their farms.
