Isiolo, Kenya – In Isiolo, Deputy County Commissioner Patrick Musango has made a strong appeal to pastoralist elders to integrate women into peace initiatives, underscoring their pivotal role in influencing family dynamics and societal behavior. Addressing a gathering, Musango highlighted the potential of women to dissuade family members from engaging in criminal activities such as cattle rustling, female genital mutilation, prostitution, and early pregnancies among school-going girls.
According to Kenya News Agency, the inclusion of women and other key stakeholders in peace initiatives is vital for fostering collective responsibility and ensuring a secure environment for citizens’ business activities. He noted that the reluctance of local elders to involve women in security-related discussions may have exacerbated issues like livestock theft in the region.
Musango challenged the elders from various pastoral communities to acknowledge the significant role women can play in peace committees, particularly in influencing young men and morans to refrain from criminal activities. He pointed out that elite families and politicians have been manipulating young men from less privileged backgrounds to engage in cattle rustling, often resulting in fatal consequences.
The Deputy County Commissioner also commented on the disproportionate resources spent by the government and development actors on security matters, which detracts from other developmental efforts. He lamented that despite being in the 21st century, the region continues to be plagued by practices like cattle rustling, highway banditry, and female genital mutilation, which impede its development.
During his speech at the opening of a one-day workshop for elders from the Borana, Somali, Turkana, and Samburu communities at Archers Post in Samburu East Sub County, Musango urged the cessation of these harmful practices. He emphasized that growth in the region is contingent upon abandoning such activities and warned of government action against perpetrators.
The Deputy County Commissioner further asserted that the government will remain resolute in its efforts to recover stolen animals and protect the lives and property of citizens, refusing to be intimidated by those who sponsor crimes.
In the same event, Abdia Muhamud, Coordinator for the Peace Link Organization, echoed Musango’s sentiments. Muhamud called on elders to advise their community members against engaging in illegal activities for quick financial gains.