LREB to engage elders in getting solutions on border conflicts among three counties.

    LREB Chairman Governor Wickliffe Oparanya address press in Kisumu where he said the Bloc is set to engage elders from Four Counties in trying to get a lasting solution to the ever rising conflict between communities living along the borders of three counties-Photos Dickson Odhiambo.

By Dickson Odhiambo

September 20, 2018.

LREB to engage elders in getting solutions on border conflicts among three counties.

THE Lake Region Economic Bloc {LREB} is set to engage elders from Four Counties in trying to get a lasting solution to the ever rising conflict between communities living along the borders of three counties.

LREB Chairman Governor Wickliffe Oparanya says the Bloc that comprised of 14 Counties is committed in promoting peaceful coexistence among the communities living along the Borders of Kisumu, Nandi and Kericho counties.

Addressing the press at the Bloc’s Secretariat in Kisumu, Oparanya said the sporadic skirmishes along Kericho, Nandi and Kisumu counties’ borders have consistently caused anxiety among the people.

“As a Bloc, we are committed to promoting peaceful coexistence and good neighborliness as well as peaceful settlement of disputes as provided for in Article 6 {f} and {g} in our agreement,” Oparanya says.

He says the Bloc will engage 45 elders during this mission in addressing and trying to find a lasting solution to the underlying issues which cause these skirmishes.

Oparanya says elders from Kisumu, Nandi, Kericho and Bomet will help in spearheading the process.

“As part of this, we have resolved to hold a luncheon with 45 elders from the four counties to undertake an analysis of the conflict trends and the underlying issues that fuel the conflict,” Oparanya adds.

Over the years, there has been a conflict among the communities living along the borders of Nandi, Kericho and Kisumu and some of the issues have been stock theft, border boundaries issues among others.

A lot of peace building initiatives have been put in place by various Non-Governmental Organizations{NGOs} which include the Local Capacities for Peace International{LCPI}and have helped in preaching peace and sensitizes the locals on importance of peaceful coexistence among them.

There have been proposals that the three counties have institutions like learning ones, recreational facilities among others along the borders which will help the people staying along such borders to share a common goal hence make them integrate well with one another.

The move by the Lake Region Economic Bloc to engage the elders in finding a lasting solution to the skirmishes along the borders of the four counties is seen as a step further in trying to preach peace, love and Unity among the communities staying in those areas.

The Lake Region Economic Bloc {LREB} is comprised of 14 counties namely Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay, Migori, Kisii, Nyamira, Kericho, Nandi, Bomet , Trans Nzoia, Vihiga, Kakamega,Bungoma and Busia.

The Bloc is a conglomerate of fourteen counties which have integrated for purposes of socio-economic development and regional prosperity.

The 14 Counties have similar ecological zones and natural resources; they have analogous cultural histories that date back to historical migrations and trading routes.

A partnership between the counties is both essential and timely and creates a practical framework through which county government efforts can be pooled to harness the abundant natural resources, build on existing strengths and address challenges.

LREB’s economic Blueprint was born out of the understanding that strategic connections between counties with shared interest seated in a desire for mutual benefit can be an effective intelligent means of increasing the possibility of creating notable development impact across several counties.

It has a vision of being a world class bloc in promotion of sustainable, equitable socio-economic development for a better life while its mission is to achieve sustainable development through coordination, promotion, resource mobilization, innovation and enhancement of equitable economic integration in the Lake region.

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