Garissa Governor Nathif Jama and the area County Commissioner Boaz Cherutich have pledged to hold a joint meeting with their Tana River county counterparts to find a lasting solution to the border conflicts.
The Governor, while speaking yesterday during the Celebrations of Jamhuri day at Masalani Town, noted that they will sit with the residents, political leaders, and National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO) and hold talks to bring the conflicts to an end.
The clashes are between pastoralists who want to graze their livestock on one side and the farmers, who are tending to their crops and accusing them of letting their livestock into their farms.
“We will sit with the Tana River county leaders led by their governor and county commissioner and their members of parliament so that we can look into how we can coexist peacefully,” the Governor said.
The County Commissioner echoed the Governor’s words and said that they would extend the joint meetings with Isiolo leaders where boundary disputes have been happening as well.
“The Ministry of Interior security has come up with guidelines on how to handle these border conflicts and so we are going to extend the sittings to Isiolo County so that we make sure peace is maintained,” Boaz said.
The border conflicts have been inflamed by the long droughts which have been experienced in the north eastern region for four years now.
The drought has left millions of livestock dead due to lack of pasture and water, compelling the pastoralists to cross into their neighboring communities.
In spite of the short rains being experienced in the region, pasture is yet to grow in a way that it can feed the livestock signaling a long way ahead for the livestock farmers.
BY STACY ODHIAMBO