The newly crowned Sultan Hassan Shuriye of Samawathal clan in Garissa has said his priority is kick-starting a peace deal in the county.
This is as one of his initiatives to bring together warring communities fighting over boundaries.
Shuriye takes over from his late father, King Omar Shurie Hassan, a former elder killed during the secession conflicts of the former Northern Frontier District in 1964.
The Samawathal community is a Sub-clan of the larger Talamoge Sub-clan of Ogaden Clan that inhabits Garissa.
Omar's killing was precipitated by his firm refusal to offer support to the secessionist movement that eyed the larger Northern Frontier district in a bid to secede it from Kenya to join Somalia.
Speaking in Garissa Town, the 65-year-old Shuriye stated that violence hurts development and so is the need to bring peace to create a conducive environment for necessary developments.
“We are all brothers and sisters. We have intermarried and can never afford to fight and hack each other to death. If it is about communal boundaries, we have enough land for all of us,” he said.
Leaders from Northern Kenya led hundreds of people from neighbouring counties of Wajir, Mandera, Marsabit and Tana River at Garissa primary grounds to witness the coronation of the sultan in May.
The Sultans are known for mediating conflicts and also play a major role even in politics where they approve aspiring candidates running for various elective positions.