President William Ruto has warned that the government will no longer tolerate acts of hooliganism on the clash-prone Sondu/Kericho border.
He directed Cabinet Secretary for Interior Kithure Kindiki to deal with perpetrators of the cross-border conflict, which has so far claimed three innocent lives.
Ruto assured traders, and the community living on the border that his administration will not sit back and watch a few criminal elements take his government backwards by engaging in criminal acts.
"I have told CS Kindiki to deal with perpetrators of violent skirmishes and cattle rustling, the same way we have contained typical activities in the North Rift as Al Shabaab," the President said.
He claimed that there are few people who are hellbent on causing division among the two ethnic communities living along the border, who lived harmoniously devoid of rancour over the years.
So far 7 people have been reportedly killed in the recent flare-ups that left a number of homesteads razed down.
President Ruto said those who took part in the killings must be arrested and arraigned in court adding that the state will not spare the suspects at all.
"Nobody will escape a police dragnet because we can't condone killings of our innocent people by a few crooks who want to spoil our peaceful coexistence for no apparent gain other than to champion their own egocentric interests," he said.
The President was Speaking in Kabonyo Kanyagwal during the commissioning of the Ksh1 billion Kabonyo fisheries and aquaculture service and training centre of excellence in Nyando Sub County.
The centre will produce 7 million fingerlings annually, and the surplus will also be used to restock Lake Victoria.
This, Ruto, said would boost food and nutrition security apart from creating multiple job opportunities for the residents within the project turf.
The government, he said, would increase the fingerlings production to 10 million.
He told the contractor to finish the project within the next year as Hungary's Envoy to Kenya, Zsolt Meszarog, who is the main sponsor said he will ensure that they produce 7 million fingerlings annually.
Leaders' say on Sondu clashes
Earlier, Kisumu Senator Prof Tom Ojienda had asked the President to pronounce himself on the Sondu/Kericho border conflicts.
"Mr President tell us how your government is going to deal with the criminals along the border in Sondu maiming innocent lives," he said.
Kisumu County Governor Prof Anyang Nyong'o had also spoken on the clashes and called for an end to ethnic atrocities.
Ruto said Kenya is one Nation bound by peace love and unity and that he won't allow tribal chauvinists to malign the government's name.
He spoke amidst efforts by the security personnel from both sides to contain the skirmishes.
This is after even the County government of Kisumu sub-county hospital on the border had to be closed due to the escalating conflicts indefinitely.
According to Kisumu County's minister for Health Gregory Ganda, the hospital was attacked on the night of October 4, 2023, by suspected goons.
"During this incident which occurred outside the health facility, arrows were shot targeting the hospital's security officers and as a result, traumatised health workers had to hide and have now abandoned the health facility out of fear," Ganda said.
He regretted that the health workers who are the unsung heroes in the face of the gravest adversity were targeted.
He urged everyone to respect the sanctity of healthcare facilities, personnel and patients in strict adherence to international humanitarian law and called upon all stakeholders to take immediate and decisive action to ensure the safety and security of health workers.
Ruto in Nyanza
The President arrived at Kabonyo Kanyagwal at 10 am. He was welcomed by ICT CS Eliud Owalo, PS Interior Dr Raymond Omollo, Fisheries CS Salim Mvurya, Prof Nyong'o and Senator Tom Ojienda among a host of local UDA allies.
On behalf of the people of Kisumu County, Nyong'o thanked the National government most sincerely for this project which was first mooted in 1980 to serve the Western Kenya fish farming and development needs.
Kanu government acquired 494 acres of land from the local community through a Gazette notice number 3460 of the first of November 1982, and the original owners were compensated to give room for the project.
"This project, is extremely important because it is aligned with the Kenya Vision 2030, the government’s transformation agenda, and the Kisumu County CIDP. Once completed, it will help to address food and nutrition security, wealth creation, and improvement of livelihoods. It will establish a regional centre of excellence for sustainable aquaculture productivity for enhanced food and nutrition security, besides playing a crucial role in the growth of the Blue economy," Nyong'o said.
The project will provide capacity building to the fisheries and aquaculture value chain actors through the production of fingerlings.
"It will bring alternative sources of Fish production methodology that will help reduce excess fishing pressure on Lake Victoria, a case of too many fishermen chasing limited stocks of fish," he added.
The centre will also serve East and Central Africa region and collaborate with regional organizations hence making Kisumu a regional hub for aquaculture.
Other expected outcomes from the project include:- New fisheries and aquaculture technologies and innovations, Increased fish production, Increased earnings from fisheries and aquaculture enterprises, and Increased employment opportunities; among others.
The beneficiaries of the project will be the immediate Kabonyo Kanyagwal community, Beach Management Units, smallholder and medium-scale producers in the region, research organizations, fisheries and aquaculture service providers, learning institutions, local administration, fish traders and processors among other value chain actors.
"One of these factors is the perennial flooding of the Kano plains. Kabonyo Kanyagwal ward where we are today is famous because of the floods. Residents of this ward have borne the brunt of devastating floods for decades. The other one is the high cost of fish feeds that may put fishermen out of aquaculture. This huge project may not help our people much if we don’t strategize on how to tame the floods.
"From my point of view and those of many experts, the construction of the KORU-SOIN dam will be the most important strategy to save our people from the perennial floods. As you may be aware, the Koru-Soin dam project was mooted in the 1950s by the colonial government," Nyongo said.
The project was abandoned after the colonialists left and attempts to start and complete it have not been successful.
"We request that you give an executive order that works on the project be hurried and completed as soon as possible," the governor added.
Once complete, the dam will not only supply clean water to the people across the border but also those in Kericho.
The governor also asked Ruto to order investigations into the conduct of state officials and politicians who are either inciting people to violence or are taking sides in these skirmishes which have adversely affected the Kisumu side of the border.
"We request that the General Service Unit (GSU) be deployed to Sondu and other affected areas along the border," Nyong'o added.
Ruto promised to revive the construction of the dam as well as 8 new modern markets in Kisumu County.
He also vowed to rid the sugar sector from cartels, revive the factories and improve rice production in Nyando Sugar Belt to improve food and nutrition security.
