Nairobi: The newly elected members of the Western Region Elders Council, Vihiga Chapter, have been urged to champion national cohesion and serve as ambassadors of peace in their communities and across the country. Speaking during a delegates’ conference held at PAG Church headquarters in Nyang’ori, National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) Western Kenya Regional Coordinator Castro Barasa challenged the council of elders to promote unity and peaceful coexistence.
According to Kenya News Agency, Barasa commended the newly elected Vihiga Chapter officials for conducting peaceful and fair elections through consensus, saying their approach demonstrated the important role elders can play in resolving differences amicably. He urged the elders to mentor young people and provide leadership, saying the youth require positive role models to guide them in their day-to-day lives.
Barasa further called on elders to ensure traditional conflict resolution mechanisms promote fairness and peaceful settlement of disputes. He urged them to identify early warning signs and address potential conflicts before they escalate into violence. He also encouraged the council to promote transgenerational dialogue by involving women and young people in conflict prevention efforts, saying their participation would help address disputes while preventing youth from being wrongly profiled when conflicts and skirmishes occur.
‘Elders are custodians of peace and they should watch out for behaviour change in the community and be willing to share information and build trust for peace to be maintained,’ said Barasa. He described elders as pillars of the nation and cautioned them against being swayed by political interests at the expense of their responsibility to guide society. Barasa urged the elders to maintain an independent position that would enable them to provide direction to young people and promote unity regardless of political affiliations.
He also cautioned politicians against engaging in hate speech or inciting members of the public, either verbally or through social media, warning that those found violating the law would be arrested and prosecuted. Hamisi Sub-County Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Jane Machara said National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO) work closely with elders’ councils in maintaining peace and preventing conflicts at the community level.
Machara added that elders play an important role in alternative dispute resolution by listening to aggrieved parties, providing guidance and helping them resolve disputes amicably. She urged elders to sensitise members of society on responsible living and child protection to help curb cases of incest, defilement and sexual and gender-based violence, which she said were a growing concern.
Machara also called on parents who travel to Nairobi or abroad in search of employment to continue providing for their children and ensuring they remain adequately protected. She warned that children whose basic needs are neglected may become vulnerable to exploitation and abuse by perpetrators. ‘Children have their rights and they deserve to live in a safe environment. The law will take its course and justice will be served,’ she said.
The newly elected Vihiga Elders’ Council Chairman Elias Onyango pledged to work towards uniting all communities living in Vihiga County and promoting unity among Kenyans. Onyango said the Elders’ Council was non-political and called on political leaders to unite residents of Vihiga and Kenyans at large. The meeting brought together members of the Vihiga Chapter of the Elders’ Council, NCIC and NGAO. It was organised by the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary under the theme, ‘Conflict Resolution and Civic Education for National Unity.’
