Nakuru county locals have been urged to embrace political tolerance and cohesion as the country political arena eye on the release of BBI report that is expected to raise political temperatures.
Speaking in Nakuru on Thursday, National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) assistant director for communication Olive Metet said Nakuru being a cosmopolitan county needs to be vigilant and locals act wisely not to be negatively influenced by political differences between their leaders.
“We know Nakuru is a cosmopolitan county but more so the hot pot of Kenya’s politics. However, locals need to embrace tolerance and cohesion even as we look forward to the release of the BBI report” Metet said.
This comes even as NCIC has been urged by National chairman of Kikuyu Council of Elders Kimani Maigua to embrace the Nakuru County peace accord that was composed in 2010 after 2007 post-election violence.
Maigua says since the guidelines in the peace accord started being used, Nakuru County has been peaceful all through.
He has also urged politicians to stop politicizing peace for their political gains saying that Kenya needs locals for businesses to thrive.
“When we met here in 2010, we made what we call Nakuru Peace accord. Let us follow it as it is has helped to ensure peace in Nakuru and we call on NCIC to follow it and do it in other counties” said Maigua.
On his part, Rongai Mosque Imam Sheikh Athman Masoud called upon the National government to localize NCIC.
He said this is the only way to ensure NCIC officers are at the grassroots where violence emanates instead of operating from the country's capital city, Nairobi.
“Our appeal is for the NCIC officers to come down up to a grassroots level so that they can help address some of the challenges that affect the people when it comes to matters peace,” said Sheikh Athman.
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