Mt Elgon Ex-MPs Plead for Peace

Nairobi Star (Nairobi)

John Nalianya

28 April 2011

Two former members of parliament have appealed to residents of Mount Elgon to accept back into the community reformed members of the Sabaot Land Defence Forces (SLDF) militia.

In a rare show of unity during a three-day peace meeting two former area legislators John Serut and Wilberforce Kisiero joined the elders and victims of SLDF activities in calling for lasting peace in the area.”They are our sons and that is why we need to have them back for the prosperity of this region,” said Serut.

Serut and Kisiero are among several leaders from Mt Elgon area attending the meeting at Mabanga Farmers Training Institute to try and find a lasting solution for the conflicts in the region.

A section of the 500 Mt. Elgon residents attending the meeting have expressed concern over the acquittal of the members of the Sabaot Land Defence Forces (SLDF) suspects by the courts saying they feared reprisals on those who reported their activities to security forces. The SLDF militia visited terror on area residents before being subdued by the government security forces three years ago.

The Kalenjin Council of Elders chairman Major John Seii and elders from the Sabiny, Bok, Koony, Ndorobo, Somek and Bongomek and Soi all of the Sabaot Community are among those attending the three day meeting whose main agenda to try and reconcile the warring communities of Soi and Ndorobo. The two communities have for a long time been fighting over land and other natural resources.

The Kenya National Human Rights Commission, the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission and the National Integration and Cohesion Commission have also sent representatives to the peace workshop organised the Free Pentecostal Fellowship in Kenya.

During the meeting, politicians from the area widely accused of funding the activities of militia in the area that led to the death of more than 1200 people and flight of an estimated 15000 others from the area.

Serut further said politicians had decided to unite with the rest of the community to preach peace and reconciliation and stressed the need for many more peace meetings at grassroots level to reconcile the communities. “We need to bring together the victims of aggression and the aggressors,” said Serut.

Participants during the meeting said they will talk to those still holding weapons in the area to surrender them to security forces. Elders who spoke during the meeting said political leaders had abused their power and influence to incite residents to fight.

They singled out incitement, political manipulation, rumor mongering, and misuse of power as major factors causing the frequent conflicts in the area.

Residents complained of the general marginalization in resource and infrastructural development since independence.”Resource distribution is so skewed that some communities feel left out of,” said Serut.

Other participants complained of inequitable distribution of devolved funds, teaching staff in schools, and political opportunities. The current land disputes were linked to historical injustices that led to the displacement during the colonial period.

Communities complained of cattle theft among themselves which they attributed to the exchange of livestock with small arms across the border. The area still harbors light weapons that have threatened the security of the area.

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