Cohesion Commission in bid to resolve Kisumu-Nandi border disputes

The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has camped at the Kisumu-Nandi border in an effort to find a lasting solution to the issues that occasionally ignite clashes in the area.

The Commission Chairman Francis ole Kaparo confirmed that the commission would hold meetings with the warring communities to deliberate on their concerns and urged the communities to live in peace.

“Communities must live in peace and harmony and resist division by cattle rustlers,” he said.

During the first meeting at Kibigori, the epicenter of the recent clashes in Muhoroni Constituency, locals said the skirmishes that left several people dead were as a result of issues regarding boundary lines not cattle rustling as widely reported.

Kaparo clarified that issues regarding boundary lines are constitutional and urged them not to be intimidated into vacating their land.

Area MP Onyango Koyoo said those who were agitating for the extension of Rift Valley boundary into Nyanza region were criminals and urged the government to take action on people who resort to chaos over boundary issues.

Kisumu County Governor Jack Ranguma also urged the commission to look into the boundary dispute critically to avert frequent clashes.

“Most residents of Kisumu who are farming sugarcane o the border have occasionally been driven out of their farms by the Nandi’s,” he observed.

Kisumu County Commissioner and chairman of the security committee, John Elungata, further clarified that they had put in place elaborate plans to deal with cattle rustling, adding that two police patrol vehicles have been acquired to help end the clashes.

The violence that began on Thursday last week started after members from one community allegedly stole two cows from heir neighbours and their neighbours responded by stealing about 50 cows as revenge.