Some of the Genesis Family 254 youth group members during a "Peace Sio Option but Mandatory" peace rally in Eldoret town, May 28, 2017. [Photo: hivisasa.com]
Youth in Uasin Gishu county have reiterated the importance of peace, cohesion and tolerance amongst all tribes especially during this campaign period.
Led by Genesis Family 254, a Christian youth group in Eldoret, the youth from different religions, cultures and social backgrounds on Sunday staged a peace rally in the streets of Eldoret town where they called on their counterparts across the country to shun politicians out to divide them on tribal lines.
During the peace rally dubbed "Peace Sio Option but Mandatory" the youth said it was time for the young people to promote peace and unity.
Speaking during the event, Genesis Family 254 secretary Edita Wairmu said the will be done across several counties in the North Rift counties.
"It is sad we live together, undergo the same economic challenges as Kenyans irrespective of our tribes and political but during political campaigns we fall for lies by our politicians and turn against each other on tribal lines. We want to remind self-centred and tribal leaders that we will not be part of their scheme again because our country is greater than any individual," noted Wairimu.
"Most of the times some leaders pretend to be speaking for us but they end up misrepresenting us as people divided along tribal lines. This time we are out to change that perception because working together in school and at work places with people from different communities has made us better persons," added Harrison Kimaiyo, a poet with the group.
North Rift Chairman of the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) Sheikh Abubakar Bini who was part of the gathering lauded the initiative, saying the unity portrayed by the youths against tribal divisions offers hope for a united Kenya.