Nairobi first to kick off countrywide peace forums after months' delay

On July 25, Interior Permanent Secretary Raymond Omollo issued a circular to all regional and county commissioners directing them to establish multi-sectoral forums on peace and security, bringing together state and non-state actors.

The forums were aimed at promoting peace and security through dialogue, identifying potential sources of conflict and addressing grievances before they escalate, enhancing information sharing, building trust and social cohesion and creating sustainable solutions to conflicts.

The circular was informed by the GenZ protests of June, the previous month as part of the government's efforts to bring order at the time.

Targeted groups in the forums included interfaith groups, social media Influencers, special interest groups, research bases organisations, media organisations, relevant NGOs, CBOs, matatu operators, opinion leaders, women-led organisations, elders, Nyumba Kumi elders, and independent offices and commissions, among others.

The political temperatures at the time, however, did not allow for the forums to begin their work until on Wednesday, November 13, when Nairobi County kicked off its series of forums with youth leaders, CBOs and security officials in what will be part of periodical meetings of exchanging ideas and finding solutions to issues that crop up within the city in a bid to deter conflicts.

Nairobi County Commissioner David Wanyonyi said the resolutions passed at the meetings will be compiled into reports that will be shared with the Interior PS for action.

"For those who have been in government for quite some time, I think during the KANU era, we used to think KANU ikisema, imesema. That the government is everything, once it pronounces something, it has to be done. But, later on we realised that that silo effect is affecting us and the best way to give wananchi service is through multisectoral, multiagency collaboration," he said.

That informed the reaction of these forums that will seek to prevent conflict and promote conflict resolution across the different members of society.

Such forums will also promote dialogue on long-standing issues affecting communities as well as emerging issues such as the recent rise in femicide cases and homicide cases.

"The whole issue about Gen Zs was that they have lost trust in us, and up to now I cannot say that there is that trust – let's say the truth. But we are trying through such forums. As we go to the sub-counties, we will ensure that we'll talk to them," Wanyonyi said.

Nairobi County has 11 sub-counties, each with a security committee responsible for its peace efforts.

The number is, however, going to increase as they are about to get additional administrative units to enable better service delivery.

Mr Wanyonyi said by January 2025, the 11 sub-counties will be 17 when all constituencies are made sub-counties by the end of the year following a presidential directive.

Similar peace forums will take place across all other counties as part of the revived peace-building architecture, a new framework that identifies persistent conflict triggers that contribute to the escalation of violent actions and radicalisation amongst communities.

The secretary in charge of the national steering committee on peace at the Ministry of Interior, Mohamed Barre, noted that Kenya has often been referred to as an Island of peace in a sea of turmoil but has faced several shakeups hence the need to build resilience for peace amongst communities.

"We need a collaborative platform that is inclusive, with everyone on board both private and government in addressing our challenges," he said.

Interior PS Raymond Omollo on Friday said the ministry has already appointed a 13-member independent panel of advisors to spearhead national dialogue and formulate a new agenda for peace in the country.