Elgeyo marakwet: Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Kipchumba Murkomen, has attributed the ongoing insecurity in the Kerio Valley region to environmental degradation, which has led to conflicts over limited resources.
According to Kenya News Agency, Murkomen highlighted the need for sustainable peace by addressing ecological destruction during the Cherangany Peace and Conservation Run at Kapyego Tebe Grounds in Elgeyo Marakwet County. He remarked that the North Rift region has long struggled with issues like banditry and cattle rustling, but emphasized that these problems are deeply rooted in the environmental challenges facing the area.
Murkomen pointed out that environmental stress, such as the reduction of grazing lands and drying up of water sources, has heightened competition over scarce resources among local communities. He noted that the collapse of ecosystems has left many young people vulnerable, leading some to turn to crime and violence due to limited economic opportunities.
Addressing those gathered at the conservation event, Murkomen stressed the importance of integrating environmental restoration with security measures to achieve lasting peace in Kerio Valley. He urged both national and county governments, as well as communities and conservation partners, to engage in activities like tree planting, water restoration, and land rehabilitation as part of broader peacebuilding efforts.
Murkomen also called for increased investment in green economic opportunities targeting young people, suggesting that initiatives such as beekeeping, agroforestry, and ecotourism could help deter youth from engaging in crime and violence. Additionally, he challenged residents in areas prone to banditry to voluntarily surrender illegal firearms before government security operations are intensified.
The event brought together leaders, residents, conservation groups, and security stakeholders to promote environmental restoration and peaceful co-existence in the Kerio Valley region.
