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NGO slams Govt over Mt Elgon mayhem
By Titus Maero, Denis Lumiti
KENYA TIMES
18. April 2007
AS killings and other humanitarian crises continue to dog the battle-scarred Mt Elgon district, top officials of a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), Kenya Human Rights Network (KHRN), released a preliminary report yesterday after winding up a four-day fact-finding mission in the area.
KHRN’s team leader Ms Beatrice Kamau said in the report that peace building initiatives designed to end the clashes are discriminatory since they do not involve women and youths.
Releasing the report in Eldoret yesterday, Ms Kamau said the government had not made any efforts to provide sanctuaries for displaced people.
Meanwhile, the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) yesterday said it would try to offer spiritual guidance to the warring factions in Mt Elgon as one of the measures to stop the mayhem.
NCCK Vice Chairman Joseph Murupus said since majority of those fighting over land are also close relatives, it would be wise that they are given spiritual guidance to stop them from killing each other.
Speaking to reporters in Eldoret town Murupus said: “As an umbrella organization of churches, we are preparing for a special service for the people of Mt Elgon in the course of next week.”
The cleric pointed out that the issue of land ownership remains a long standing problem in the country, noting that the contents of the Ndungu Commission on irregular land allocations should be implemented if Kenyans expect an end to such skirmishes like Mt Elgon’s.
Meanwhile, Internal Security minister John Michuki and his Lands counterpart Kivutha Kibwana are expected to tour the clash-torn Mt Elgon District tomorrow.
And the Government yesterday said one raider had been killed by security forces and eight others arrested in the last three days.
Western Provincial Commissioner Abdul Mwaserah told journalists in Kakamega that the eight suspects were rounded up by security personnel and one of them killed after they defied instructions to surrender.
This will be the first time Michuki, who has been in the spotlight over the clashes that have so far claimed close to 200 lives, injuring several others and displacing thousands, will be coming to the
area.
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