Author: Florence Oyasi

Efforts to strengthen peace and address cross-border challenges in Marsabit County have received a boost through community peace committees working to protect children, empower women and promote peaceful coexistence along the Kenya-Ethiopia border.

The initiative, implemented by Strategies for Northern Development (SND) under the Kenya Community Engagement and Resilience Programme, brings together communities to tackle issues such as human trafficking, school dropouts, child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) while supporting livelihoods.

Speaking during a community engagement forum, SND Programme Officer Wako Boru said the programme is equipping women and young people with skills and opportunities to improve their livelihoods and reduce their vulnerability to crime and violent extremism.

“We are supporting women and young people through income-generating activities such as beekeeping so they can earn a living and improve their lives. We are also linking them to markets for their products to help them become self-reliant,” said Boru.

He said creating economic opportunities for young people helps reduce idleness and lowers the risk of them being lured into criminal activities.

Human rights activist and Chairperson of the Moyale Cross Border Peace Committee Shamsia Abdullahi said the peace committees have strengthened cooperation between communities living on both sides of the Kenya-Ethiopia border.

“We have committees that deal with peace, school dropouts and child protection. Whenever a child drops out of school or crosses the border, we communicate quickly with teachers and other stakeholders so the child can be traced and returned to school,” she said.

Abdullahi said the committees have also helped respond to cases of human trafficking, child marriage and FGM through close collaboration between communities.

“There is nothing more important than peace. Without peace, there can be no development because people cannot live or work in a stable environment,” she said.

She urged parents to guide their children and protect them from people who may exploit them to engage in violence or other illegal activities.

As the country prepares for future elections, Abdullahi called on political leaders to promote peaceful campaigns.

“We are asking leaders and all Kenyans to preach peace. We should not destroy property or fight one another because this country belongs to all of us. Peace is everyone’s responsibility,” she said.

She also appealed to young people not to allow themselves to be used to cause violence, saying lasting peace is essential for development and the well-being of communities.

Three illegally owned firearms and 43 rounds of ammunition have been voluntarily surrendered by members of the public in Tana River County.

According to the National Police Service (NPS), two AK-47 rifles and 35 rounds of ammunition were handed over to a multi-agency security team in Bangale.

Another firearm and eight rounds of ammunition were also surrendered in Tana North Sub-County.

The service says the voluntary handover of the weapons demonstrates increased cooperation between residents and security agencies.

“The multi-agency approach, working in close coordination with local stakeholders, continues to create an environment in which members of the public are increasingly choosing dialogue and cooperation over silence,” NPS said in a statement.

The NPS has urged members of the public to continue sharing information on illegal firearms and other criminal activities through its toll-free numbers and other reporting channels.

A suspect believed to be involved in a series of phone thefts has been apprehended in Korogocho, Nairobi County.

The arrest followed a swift police operation, initiated after a victim reported an armed robbery at Korogocho Police Station.

According to the police, officers successfully tracked the suspect, recovering a Samsung smartphone, believed to have been stolen from the complainant, along with a knife suspected of being used in the robbery.

“The suspect was escorted to Korogocho Police Station, where he remains in custody pending processing and arraignment in court,” the National Police Service (NPS) said in a statement.

The NPS reaffirmed its commitment to combating crime and ensuring the safety and security of Kenyans, residents and visitors.

The service urged the public to remain vigilant and continue reporting any suspicious activities to support ongoing efforts to enhance public safety and security.

Fish traders in Homa Bay County have welcomed the establishment of a cold storage facility, saying it has reduced post-harvest losses, improved the quality of fish and enabled them to better meet customer demand.

However, the traders are calling on both the national and county governments to address frequent electricity outages, provide a larger backup generator and improve market infrastructure to boost the fisheries sector.

Speaking during an interview at the Beach Management Unit (BMU) cold room, BMU representative Francis Zero said the facility has transformed fish handling by preserving freshness and minimising spoilage.

“I want to thank President William Ruto and Governor Gladys Wanga for giving us this cold room. When suppliers bring fish, there are very few losses because the fish remains fresh until morning,” he said.

Zero explained that before the cold storage facility was established, traders suffered significant losses whenever fish spoiled due to delayed transportation or low market demand.

Despite the gains, he identified unreliable electricity supply as one of the biggest challenges facing the facility.

“I would like to ask our Governor and the President to look into the issue of the generator. Sometimes electricity goes off, and when that happens the fish can perish. We need a reliable backup generator,” he added.

Another worker at the facility, Ali Hassan Dabasso, said the existing generator is unable to adequately power the cold room during blackouts because of its low capacity.

“When power goes off, the generator cannot run the machine because the voltage is too low. If we had a bigger generator, it would help preserve the fish whenever there is a blackout,” he said.

Dabasso noted that the cold room is cleaned regularly to maintain high hygiene standards and ensure fish is stored in a safe environment. He also said traders are charged according to the amount of fish they store, making the facility affordable for small-scale fish dealers.

Fish trader Anna Atieno said the cold room has helped improve the quality of fish sold at the beach by keeping it fresh for longer.

“I thank our Governor for helping us. She has given us a cold room. The fish remains fresh and of good quality,” she said.

Atieno also appealed to the county government to promote the facility more widely in order to attract more customers and expand the market for fish.

“If this place could be advertised so that more customers can come and buy fish, it would be good for our businesses,” she added.

Another trader, Joy Ongili, said poor market infrastructure and the location of the fish market continue to affect business despite improvements in fish preservation.

“We are asking our Governor to improve access to the market. We have very low sales, with most of our buyers coming from Rongo and Migori. The market is dirty and has a bad smell, discouraging customers from coming here,” she said.

200 kilograms of cannabis with an estimated street value of KSh6M have been recovered in Malindi, Kilifi County.

The narcotic was recovered during an intelligence-led operation conducted by officers drawn from the National Police Service (NPS) at Thalatha Meli area in Malindi Sub-County.

Two suspects were arrested during the sting operation conducted at a residential house in the area.

“A thorough search of the premises led to the recovery of five gunny bags containing dry plant material suspected to be cannabis,” says NPS in a statement.

“The two suspects were arrested and, together with the recovered exhibits, escorted to Malindi Police Station, where they remain in custody pending further investigations and subsequent arraignment in court.”

NPS has lauded members of the public for providing timely information that has been critical in combating crime and is urging them to keep reporting suspicious activities to the authorities.