By Peter Ochieng
Kisumu governor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o and his Kericho counterpart Erick Mutai on Friday signed a peace deal.
The agreement signed at a neutral ground in Homabay county, seeks to end long standing conflicts in Sondu town, which borders the two neighboring counties.
Nyong’o and Mutai pledged to enact legislation supporting coexistence, suspend revenue collection until boundaries are established, and develop a cross-border conflict transformation model.
This, they said, will include initiatives such as establishing a Peace Park in Sondu and implementing joint political and development projects. They agreed to lobby for the commissioning of the peace park within 60 days.
The two county bosses also agreed to prioritize Sondu youth with empowerment programs to address the real and perceived marginalization in the area.
National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) Chairperson Samuel Kobia, and Commissioner Philip Okundi, are among those who witnessed the signing ceremony.
In October, 2023, security was beefed up in Sondu to tame renewed ethnic clashes. The move by the government followed an incident where 7 people died while several others were injured in fresh attacks at the Sondu market.
The attacks came after 20 MPs from the region told President William Ruto to intervene and stop the killings.
Kericho Senator and Majority leader in the Senate Aaron Cheruiyot called on Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki to convene a meeting to solve the menace.
“I urge CS Kindiki to urgently convene a leaders meeting drawn from Kericho and Kisumu counties to chart a way out on this Sondu issue. It’s a terrible unfortunate situation. If we meet our people at Sondu, we can certainly figure a way to restore peace and stability,” he said, then.
Kindiki and President William Ruto later visited the area, where they urged residents to coexist in peace, even as more security personal were deployed to prevent attacks and counter attacks from communities living within the border.