A call has been made to government to diversify the role of Nyumba Kumi Initiative to include cohesion roles and encouraging peaceful coexistence among members of Nyumba Kumi clusters rather than just security.
Speaking on Tuesday in Makongeni during a meeting of various local Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Kamenu CBO Chairperson Esther Mueni noted that Nyumba Kumi was the best platform to encourage and build cohesion among Kenyans seeing that it is down to the grassroots.
"Kenya remains a very divided nation and the situation is worsening as we near next year's General elections. But it is my believe that if Nyumba Kumi has to an extent worked for us security-wise, it can also work for us cohesion- wise. Maybe it is the high time we thought about that seriously," said Mueni.
Mueni said that the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) should make use of the already existing Nyumba Kumi platform to build cohesion from the grassroot level all the way to the national level.
"NCIC will not achieve anything by sitting in Nairobi and blaming everybody about their own failures. They should come down to the grassroots and start building cohesion from there. Let them encourage peaceful coexistence and friendly relations among neighbours more so starting in urban areas and cohesion will be achieved with time," she said.