Bringing two communities together

Tempers were soaring and the atmosphere was animated as two communities met to discuss peace and sharing of natural resources

By Lilian Njogu

05. December 2007

For the last couple of years, the Rendille and the Gabbra pastoralist tribes have been conflicting over the use of resources and land in Balesa Bura, outside Marsabit town.
According to the Rendille, the Gabbra have been grazing on their land as well as using other resources.

Tension has therefore increased, and consequently the DC of Marsabit, Mr. Njenga Miiri, has organized a peace meeting to bring the two communities together. They were asked to arrive the night before to the village of Kargi in the dry lands where vegetation is full of scattered dry trees, and camels graze by the hundreds.

As the DC and his staff arrive, the communities are in a peaceful mood and sit outside together drinking tea. It is hard to distinguish the men from each other by the physical features although the Gabbras are Cushitic and the Rendille Nilotes. However they can easily be differentiated by their way of dressing. Most of the Rendille have Kangas wrapped along their waste where as the majority of Gabbra are in trousers, town people who have been called to meet with local Rendilles.

The meeting between at least 50 elders is also graced with the chiefs, administration police, peace building partners like MS Kenya, MS Kenya partner Marsabit Women Advocacy and development Organisation (Mwado) and TearFund a christian relief and development agency working towards eradicating poverty, all seated on plastic chairs together with the DC and DO in the panel facing the assembled.

Before the community members get a chance to speak out their differences, the DC reminds them that they are neighbors and need to stay together as bothers and sisters:

“We should not have hatred among ourselves because if we have, we shall kill each other and eventually the land will be left with nobody. Lets us keep our relationship strong because we are neighbors and we shall never stop being neighbors even if we fight all night.”

In a Jovial mood, the meeting kicks off with the Rendille elder Edward Torodo, who is also a chairman of the peace meeting committee.

“We have no peace and so far Gabbras and Rendilles are like ‘a dog and a sheep’: When we come together we insult each other and start fighting,” he says adding that the Rendille are not ready to share land and resources such as grazing with the Gabbra. 

The Gabbras on the other hand, stretch out their hand and declare that they want peace with the Rendille adding that two communities live with hatred only due to political influence.

“When our politicians come, they talk about land and claim that land and resources belong to the community they represent. They go ahead and advice the people to fight for their land and not to allow other communities to use the resources. We now start fighting among ourselves because of that influence and pressure from our leaders,” says a youth representative from the Gabbra side.

Tension at the arrival of the politicians

After four to five hours of discussion two politicians, Mary Ngoyoni and Lekuton the current seating MP, both Rendille, arrive. As the number of delegates was around 50 when the meeting began, it has now raised to around 100.

With the same sitting arrangements, tension begins to increase when no politician appear from the Gabbra side. First the Rendille increases in number and on the other hand Gabbras complain that none of their MPs are invited to share the meeting. But the DC is quick to clear the way.

“We came here to talk and agree. So I want everyone to say what their hearts feel. Your leaders are here with you and will listen to your suggestions and from there we can look for the way forward. Remember you are all my children and I am the only father,” says the DC as he introduces the politicians present.

The open forum starts with the Rendille being the first to say that if they are not separated from the Gabbra the two will continue to fight. 

“For peace to prevail, every community must stay away from the other. We don’t even want intermarriages. And anyone crossing over to the other side should be fined a sum of ksh 5000 on the spot be it a Gabbra or a Rendille,” says Mohamud Kawir, the former Councilor of the Rendille.

This statement is accompanied by cheers and laughter, and when it is time for the Gabbras to speak, the Rendille do not give them time to talk but instead opt for someone from their side to talk.

The cheering is not taken kindly by the Gabbra and they accuse the present politicians for the tension. And since the Rendille who are the majority cannot give the Gabbra time, the moderator from Tearfund has to intervene for the Gabbras to be given space.

The first Gabbra to enter the floor after lunch is one of the elders:

“The meeting is not as expected; hence we should be let to go home. The purpose of coming was to bring peace but the meeting has turned to hatred. We are not prepared for such kind of talks.”

As tempers rise the moderator of the meeting stresses and hands over to the DC. who has all along been taking things lightly.

“What is the tension for? I invited politicians from both communities and it is their responsibility to ensure they have come. I cannot carry them on my back and bring them here,” he says calling for calm from the Gabbras.

After the accusations from the community to the politicians, it is now time for them to speak. Mary Ngoyoni wife to the late MP Titus Ngoyoni and also an aspirant ,concurres with the Rendille that the problem is over land which she says belongs to the Rendille.

“There has been a persistent conflict that has claimed lives and I agree with the Rendille speakers. The land issue should be sorted out because the Balesa Bura land is clearly on the Rendille side.”

Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton, the current seating MP of Laisamis, is also in support of the Rendille.

“No leader would allow his own people to be denied access to their own resources like water. If we want peace then we must be prepared for justice,” he says noting that other communities live in peace within the borders. He further appeals to them to think of peace and development instead of fighting for land and resources.

After the politicians have spoken, the DC asks the Rendille if there are any problems related to land issues. They all harmoniously say yes. However on the Gabbra side, mixed reactions are received to the same question with some saying yes and others saying no.

It is now clear between the politicians and the two communities that the problem is land and resources sharing. They then agree to use a map to identify the boundary of the land. The Rendille agree to step down for the Gabbra if at all the Gabbra have a case on the boundary dispute. Likewise the Gabbras agree on the same. The meeting ends at 7pm after a full day of discussions with an agreement that the DC will bring the old map from the state archives to check the boundaries.

Thus the path to peace is clearly outlined as the DC and his get in their vehicles and head back to Marsabit in th dark. Digging out the maps from the archives apeears for now as the solution the problem. Another disputes has been solved, and the words spoken by the DC before taking of for the meeting seem to have been confirmed.
During the morning hors he said:“If only they get to talk they will come to an agreement more often than not.”

 

Read an interview with the DC of Marsabit, Mr. Njenga Miiri