Governor Arati and other leaders during a public baraza in Trans Mara-Kisii Border.
Kisii Governor Simba Arati and his Narok counterpart Patrick Ole Ntuntu on Monday led a public baraza to solve the ongoing conflict between Kisii and Maasai communities conflict.
During the meeting, political leaders from Kisii and Maasai committed to fostering harmony and addressing the root causes of the skirmishes.
Governor Arati stressed that Kisii and Transmara residents must live together peacefully as neighbors.
“It is time for this conflict to end. Our security officers must ensure that cattle theft is eradicated once and for all. Those thieves should be burnt but not killed so that the rest can learn from that,” he stated.
The Kisii County boss noted that the violence on the border was being fueled by individuals fighting for control over sugarcane farming in the region.
“I urge border committees to ensure that stolen cattle are returned and those responsible are held accountable,” Arati stated.
Governor Ntutu on his part said border security committees should handle the cattle theft conflict to avoid clashes between the two communities.
“We must follow due process whenever there is an issue of cattle theft. The border security committees should be involved and given the responsibility of tracking stolen livestock,” Ole Ntutu said.
He added, “I was a District Officer (DO) in the past, and I can confidently say that we cannot solve these issues without addressing the root causes. It is unrealistic to believe that all this fighting was triggered by the theft of a single cow,”
Following the baraza, Governor Arati gave out money to Trans Mara and Kisii residents in an effort to calm tension in the area.
Arati also committed to pay hospital bills for the injured residents affected by the Kisii-Narok border clashes.
