Youth in Baringo County have called on government and other stakeholders to involve them in peace-building initiatives. This comes in the aftermath of reported banditry attacks which led to loss of lives and displacement of people with women and children left to pay the price of the attacks when the security operation was put in place in the aftermath.
Speaking during a forum on the use of traditional and new media (social media) techniques to promote peacebuilding in Baringo County held on 27th July 2022 in Kabarnet town, the youth noted that they don’t have safe space and platforms where they can freely speak on issues of insecurity and conflict affecting the county.
Led by Felix Chirchir, a member of the Baringo Peace Consortium, the youth expressed their disappointment for not being actively engaged in the decision-making process in matters of peace and security in the county.
“Youth are mostly perpetrators of these attacks and involving them and giving them a platform to speak on some of the challenges we have as a county will help in addressing the challenges such as conflict,” said Chirchir.
Felix Kemboi, Youth Peace Ambassador for CSI- Kenya called for mapping for mapping of youth groups and community-based organizations working on peace and security and giving safe spaces where they can table their issues.
“As young people, we only want to be listened to and given an opportunity to table our ideas,” said Kemboi.
On her part, Winnie Tuitoek, Journalist at K24 noted that the security agencies have also neglected the youth when it comes to peacebuilding initiatives even in Baringo North and Baringo South where banditry attacks are rampant.
Participants are usually leaders and security agencies and, in most scenarios, the youth are not given time or space to give their views.
Further, the youth called on the community and security agencies to cease from victimizing and arresting youth who surrender their guns as this will make them shun surrendering the guns.
The youth also cited limited political goodwill by the government in promoting youth-led initiatives such as inter-communal peace tournaments, inter-cultural festivals, and art-based activism (artivism) that promote peacebuilding.
They called for the engagement of PWDs since some of them were disabled by conflict and they are usually worst affected.
Currently, CCGD is implementing the Women, Peace and Security Program (WS) which aims to end the double marginalization of women in peace and security processes in the counties of Mandera, Samburu, and Baringo counties. The involvement of the youth in peace-building processes and giving them a voice in peace processes is a key objective of the WPS program.
By Carol Jebet & Maurice Goga
