Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i has urged elders from Kisumu and Nandi counties to lead in peace building following recent animosity at the boarder of Nandi and Muhoroni.
Matiang'i, who spoke in Nakuru on Tuesday during a consultative peace forum for council of elders from Nandi and Kisumu counties, said that given the influence elders have in society they stand a better chance of convincing the young generation on the need to uphold peace and co- existence.
"55 years after independence we should not be talking about border conflicts but we should be focusing on development.You as elders you are the custodians of peace in your communities,"he said.
However, Matiang'i warned the government will not hesitate to act swiftly to curb any cases of insecurity whenever intervention by the council of elders fails.
He said the government will review all administrative boundaries in the country with a view to replacing interdicted government officers and also those who have retired.
Further the government will get additional 500 police vehicles this financial year through lease as a way of boosting security.
"We need to focus on development as a country but that can only happen if we have peace which is paramount to all of us," he said.
Kisumu Governor Prof. Anyang Nyong’o and his Nandi counterpart Stephen Sang pledged to support the peace initiative.
The two said that issues of boarder conflict and cattle theft between their communities communities should be a thing of the past in the region.
The meeting was also attended by Regional coordinators for Nyanza and Rift Valley as well as county commissioners among other officials.