By Arthur Magero Abonyo MA,
Kerio Valley is a beautiful place but its name has been tarnished by the incessant killings, maiming, and displacement of human and livestock populations taking place between the three ethnic community members living in this valley, describes Mrs. Mercy Cheptoo a woman leader in Marakwet community.
Mr. Wesley Yano, a farmer at Arror in Marakwet, observes, “The sound of a gunshot is chilling, yet here in Kerio Valley, it’s like a normal thing. We live in fear every day because we don’t know when the enemy will come. He pauses and sighs; who lives, who dies, and who tells your story.”
The inter-ethnic violent conflict between the Marakwet, Tugen and Pokot communities in Kerio Valley has for decades created an environment of fear and mistrust among them. Due to the frequent bloody violent conflicts, Kerio Valley has been labeled as “the valley of death”. These inter-ethnic conflicts have brought untold suffering and never-ending tension between the three communities living in this sort of topographical triangle. The triangle is located in a ragged terrain with poor physical infrastructure. This further worsens security due to poor roads, inaccessibility, and unreliable mobile communication networks.
At the beginning of the year 2023, Shalom-SCCRR received a plea from the Eldoret Catholic Diocese of Kenya and the local government actors, to intervene in the Kerio Valley to address the protracted violent conflict between the three ethnic communities.
This recurrent violent conflict has further resulted in the closure of schools and markets, the destruction of both private and public property, stalled development projects, and capital and investor flight. Other effects of this horrendous ethnic violence are directly affecting families and individuals in the form of physical, emotional, and psychological trauma.
Moreover, the availability of illicit firearms among civilians has created an environment where even the security and administrative personnel have been targeted with a number of them losing their lives and others left with catastrophic injuries.
In the initial investigatory engagements, the Shalom-SCCRR team comprised Fr. Oliver Noonan, (Ph.D. Candidate), the Shalom-SCCRR Executive Director, Geofrey Okoth MA, Senior Project Officer, and Arthur Magero Abonyo MA, Project Officer, and the Project Team Leader. They strategically met key local community leaders (including women and youth) and opinion shapers, religious leaders, government administrators, and other relevant peace and security actors.
In the subsequent workshops, we have been engaged in community entry/insertion activities, conflict analysis, and intervention mapping. Some of the just concluded activities included baseline study and community mobilization interventions with the view of implementing conflict transformation, peacebuilding, and inter-communal development.
Shalom-SCCRR’s project is also reaching schools within the Kerio Valley which have been adversely affected by conflict and have remained marginalized from national educational infrastructure development.
The initial workshops have succeeded in securing the community buy-in, and willingness of both the community members and their leaders to commence a journey of conflict transformation, peacebuilding, and inter-communal development.
By engaging locals across the three ethnic communities, the Shalom-SCCRR team mapped out some of the main causes of the inter-ethnic conflict which is fueled by: the scramble for resources such as water, pasture, and land; livestock rustling and theft; poverty resulting from lengthy marginalization; disputed communal land boundaries and proliferation of illicit firearms, among other factors.
Shalom-SCCRR is committed to journeying with these three communities in their quest to find long-lasting peace and to employ jointly found peace as a platform for inter-communal development. Further, having established the gap in terms of school/educational development along the Kerio Valley, Shalom-SCCRR seeks to mobilize every support to build schools and renovate those that are extremely dilapidated in terms of infrastructure and equipment for teaching and learning.
“We are happy to start this journey with Shalom-SCCRR, I believe these communities will benefit from the expertise that the Shalom team has demonstrated. We look forward to a future where these three communities in this triangle can learn and apply non-violent techniques of resolving conflict and working together for common good.” alludes Mr. Michael Kakuko a local administrator (chief) of Pokot community Kipnai location.
Author: Arthur Magero Abonyo MA, Project Officer & Team Leader Elgeyo Marakwet-Baringo Project
Relevant Links:
- Shalom-SCCRR. (2023). A Perspective on the Philosophy and Work of Shalom-SCCRR by Prof. Wanakayi K. Omoka (RIP) remembered, with the 2023 Results Added by the Dept. of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL). https://shalomconflictcenter.org/a-perspective-on-the-philosophy-and-work-of-shalom-sccrr-by-prof-wanakayi-k-omoka-rip-remembered-with-the-2023-results-added-by-the-dept-of-monitoring-evaluation-and-learning-mel/
- Shalom-SCCRR. (2023). 2023 SHALOM-SCCRR RESULTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS. https://shalomconflictcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-Peacebuidling-Conflict-Transformation.pdf
- Butler, J. (Oct, 2023). Harvard Kennedy School; A Conversation with Rev. Dr. Patrick Devine, and Paula Soumaya Domit https://shalomconflictcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Harvard_Kennedy_School_Article_WITH_PHOTOS_MAP_1_17_24_FINAL.pdf
- Shalom –SCCRR. (2017). EVIDENCE: Shalom’s Methodology leads to Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding Progress. https://shalomconflictcenter.org/evidence-shaloms-methodology-leads-to-conflict-prevention-and-peacebuilding-progress/
- Noonan, O. & Kevilihan, R. (2018). Managing conflict in north-west Kenya: The siege of Loregon and its aftermath. Conflict, Security and Development, 18(2), 137-157.
- Devine, P., (2016). Persistent Conflict between the Pokot and the Turkana: Causes and Policy Implications [Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis]. University of Nairobi, Kenya. http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/97476
- Shalom-SCCRR. (2022). 2009-2021 Shalom-SCCRR Results and Achievements. https://shalomconflictcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/2009-2022-Shalom-SCCRR-Results-and-Achievements-2023-20230710-LV.pdf
- Moran, M. (2020). Eastern Africa: Shalom-SCCRR receives United Nations (UN) Accreditation. https://shalomconflictcenter.org/3901-2/
- Shalom-SCCRR. (2016). Irish Minister Visits Shalom, Praises Work for Peace https://shalomconflictcenter.org/irish-minister-visits-shalom-praises-work-for-peace/
- Macharia, A. (2023). Shalom-SCCRR’s Conflict Resolution Initiatives Bring Hope and Development to Turkana and Dassanech Communities Located in The Ilemi Triangle along the Kenya-Ethiopia border. https://shalomconflictcenter.org/shalom-sccrrs-conflict-resolution-initiatives-bring-hope-and-development-to-turkana-and-dassanech-communities-located-in-the-ilemi-triangle-along-the-kenya-ethiopia-border/
- Shalom-SCCRR. (2022). Shalom Empowerment Center (SEC) Addressing Violence against Women and Children: Concept Document. https://shalomconflictcenter.org/eastern-africa-shalom-empowerment-center-sec-addressing-violence-against-women-and-children-concept-document/
- Devine, P. R. (2023). Shalom-SCCRR Chairman’s Report on Progress and Achievements in 2022. https://shalomconflictcenter.org/chairmans-report-on-progress-and-achievements-in-2022/
- Kibe, E. (2022). Shalom-SCCRR’s International Chairman, Rev. Dr. Patrick Devine addresses the Harvard Kennedy School, USA. https://shalomconflictcenter.org/shalom-sccrrs-international-chairman-rev-dr-patrick-devine-addresses-the-harvard-kennedy-school-usa/
