Calm has been restored at Sondu Market after two different communities clashed along Kericho and Kisumu counties boarder last week .
The peace normalcy came after security agents from the two counties dispatched a team of General Service Unit at Sondu to restore peace and order in the volatile market.
Kericho and Kisumu counties share the market where livestock .maize,bananas,pineapples are the main business transactions that take place during market days.
Kericho leaders Saturday tore at some Nyanza politicians for incitement that led to a three day non stop of clashes of communities residing at the market over cattle theft and unjustified revenue collection.
Kericho senator Aron Cheruiyot said the Kalenjin community had been demonized and seen as the aggressor any time clashes occur at Sondu.
He told a politician in Kisumu to tame his tongue by refrain for uttering tribal sentiments that may hinder plans to restore peace and order at the boarder market.
Senator Cheruiyot said in the era of 21st century Kalenjin warriors remarks could hinder government efforts to restore peace and order at Sondu.
Kericho,Senator Cheruiyot said is the only county in Kenya where at least 44 tribes in Kenya live harmoniously and it would be an insult from any leader to brand the hosting community as hostile.
Speaking during the launch of National Government Affirmative Action Fund(NGAAF) funded projects at Moi Gardens in Kericho town on Saturday Justice Kemei in whose part of Sondu market is in his Sigowet/Soin constituency said he will remain in the constituency the whole of this week so as to ensure total peace and order is restored at the market.
Meanwhile Stock theft at Sondu is the cause of recurring clashes between two communities at the common boarder.
Politicians are to blame and not security agents for shielding their own for political reasons .
Though livestock theft is the main reason behind the recurring clashes in Sondu,revenue collection has been the other reason that spark sharp differences between revenue officials from Kericho and Kisumu counties .
Kipsigis business community has time and again blamed Kisumu revenue collectors of collecting revue from Kericho side.
For Nyanza residents shifting blame to their Kericho counterparts of stealing their cows and goats.
‘”We are all Nilotes,we have co-existed since time immemorial, we should not fight over matters that can be dealt with once and for all”‘Kericho governor Dr Eric Mutai said.
While addressing journalists outside his office,Thursday,governor Mutai appealed to Kipsigsi and Luo communities to end clashes at Sondu market and continue to co-exist as before.
He said Kipsigis and Luo share common factor,they are all Nilotes and should not fight over matters that can be fixed by politicians and security agents.
The three day stand off between the two communities has so far left seven people dead and score of others left with machetes,arrow and Pangas serious injuries.
Out of anger,governor Mutai said arsonists torched a revenue collecting office at Sondu as it was done to houses on either sides of Kericho and Kisumu counties.
The county boss said he is going to have a meeting with his Kisumu counterpart governor Prof. Anyang Nyongo with a view of coming with a lasting solution to the shameful clashes between the two communities.
A Koguta resident in Kericho county Peter Oloo told Kenya government to fix once and for all cattle rustling along the Kericho-Kisumu boarder without which other measures will only be sideshows and will never end clashes here
Politicians,Oloo said have little to do on security measures as they would not want to lose voters in future electioneering seasons.
He said the politicians even if they knew who were cattle rustlers would not want to reprimand them to keep away from the vice least they lose potential voters .
For those collecting revenue from other areas they were not supposed to would want to continue for that sake of pleasing their bosses from either side of the divide.
Interior cabinet secretary Kindiki Kithure should come for reconciliation between the Kipsigis and Luo community with fixed mind on how cattle theft and unjustified revenue collection will be fixed.
“‘Let him not listen to politicians from both sides as they will only come with blame games at the expense of lives of Kipsigsi and Luo communities”” Oloo said.
Oloo suggested that half of security agents earmarked to go to Haiti to restore peace and order in the Caribbean and Pacific Islands be sent to Sondu.
“‘Were cannot dispatch peace keeping forces in a foreign county at time when our house is on fire'” Oloo said.
ENDS