Bukusu elders seek peace with Sabaots

Written by Rosemary Wachiye

Bukusu elders at the peace meeting. Bukusu elders from Trans Nzoia and Bungoma Counties are holding a three day peace forum organized by the FPFK organization to reach a consensus on matters affecting the relationship between the Bukusu and the Sabaot communities that live in Mt.Elgon. The FPFK organisation that deals with peace and rights between communities is  advocating for social peace and justice for both the tribes. “To achieve social peace and justice in these two counties then its elders’ role to lead the community through guidance,” said the FPFK Programs Coordinator Mr. Festus Mukoya. The elders have been picked out from the two counties as peace makers from the communities they come from so as to spread the message of peace to their community. They elders are being trained towards preventing emerging conflicts, resolving conflicts and containing escalating power struggles at the community level. Political leaders have been blamed for being the main cause of conflict in the warring communities because of the inequitable distribution of resources in the area making some members feel left out and marginalized. “Poor resource distribution among members of a community is the root cause to most conflicts that emerge in a constituency in the unequal distribution of resources by members of parliament in their area,” said Mr.Mukoya He called upon elders to come up and deal with the fight s and wars in the community by preaching peace among the members since they are the respectable people in the society. By the end of the three day forum the Bukusu elders will then organize to meet the Sabaot elders on October 17, 2011 to discuss the way forward and reach a consensus towards peaceful co-existence between the two communities that have been at loggerheads for long.