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First Lady tells Elgon fighters to drop arms
The Standard
17. April 2007
By Stephen Makabila
First Lady Lucy Kibaki flew to the troubled Mt Elgon District and distributed blankets and foodstuffs to the displaced.
The First Lady also warned members of the Sabaot Land Defence Force against fighting with the hope to win against Government.
Lucy advised the fighters to get out of the forest and surrender their arms while the amnesty lasted.
"You belong to one community and one country, why should you kill one another? We do not want to see Kenyans becoming refugees in their own country," said Lucy.
The First Lady told the fighters to identify their problems and seek amicable solutions.
"Kibaki is ready to listen to your problems if you enumerate them.
"Yote yawezekana na serikali ya Kibaki kwa vile tayari amefanya mengi (All is possible with the Kibaki Government because he has already achieved a lot)," she added.
Lucy, however, accused some politicians of funding members of the Sabaot Land Defence Force to kill and displace innocent people.
She appealed to the youth to seek reconciliation over their land problems.
"As your mother, I appeal to the youth misused by these politicians to move out of the forest and surrender their arms to Government," she said.
Lucy blamed previous regimes for the anomalies in the land allocation that have left more than 150 people dead and 40,000 displaced in Mt Elgon.
"The land allocations, which are the genesis of the current problems, were carried out during the previous regimes. The Kibaki Government is ready to rectify the situation," she said.
The First Lady was speaking at the Kopsiro divisional headquarters in the district, to families displaced by the six-month-old clashes.
The clashes, over allocation of the Chebyuk Settlement Scheme, have forced families to camp in market centres in neighouring districts.
Lucy, accompanied by the Western PC, Mr Abdul Mwasserah, and area DC, Mr Kutswa Olaka, said she had been inspired by God to visit Mt Elgon.
"God inspired me last week to come and visit you. I believe in God, just like my parents used to, and after praying, I was directed to come," Lucy said.
She said she was hurt because innocent people were losing their lives while others were subjected to suffering.
Lucy said the Government would resettle those whose houses were destroyed and ensure they resume peaceful lives in their farms.
She said destroyed schools would be reconstructed for children to resume second term learning smoothly.
"Your MP should also use the Constituency Development Fund to help those whose livestock were stolen. If he refuses, withdraw your votes in the coming election," added Lucy.
She urged women to unite and ensure they contested and won 50 per cent of parliamentary seats in the coming General Election.
She added: "Problems like these would not be there if a woman was the Lands minister," Lucy said.
Among the donations Lucy brought to the displaced were 600 bags of sugar, 160 bags of beans, 600 bags of rice, 1,200 cartons of maize flour, 500 cartons of cooking fat, 2,000 packets of salt and 8,000
blankets.
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