Responding to Deadly Conflicts in Western Kenya

A chief in Chepyuk village, Mt Elgon was found dead, the mutilated body with stabs wounds on the head and neck, his body was discovered in a maize plantationburied in a shallow grave three kilometres from his homestead and 100 metres from our peace centre, His clothes and phone were found burnt beside his body, the body was discovered by a resident near Mt Elgon peace centre in the expansive Chepyuk Settlement Scheme in Kopsiro Sub-County.

          Characterized by great anger residents stormed a local illicit brew den and torched houses that they suspected harboured the people who might have killed him. The locals also burned several houses that were around the place where his body was found. The four suspects including two men and two women are believed to have cooperated with others who police are still pursuing. Residents also killed one suspect who is believed to have hoodwinked the chief into his killing, Tension gripped residents of Mt Elgon sending panic, fear and tension among locals who now fear for their security.

In the event of such crisis, TSCS will always find ways of intervening through community dialogues which uses interactive participatory communication process of sharing information between conflicting parties or groups of people aimed at reaching a common understanding and workable solution. Through this intervention the key outcomes of community dialogue will help change in behaviour, knowledge, attitude and beliefs.

Since it was a local administrator who had dead, we first worked closely with security personnel from the region, peace committee and the church leaders to address community members to maintain peace

In the dialogue forums with 140 stakeholders we addressed conflict resolution mechanisms that comprise of social whereby human beings in a society interact and live together and uphold to the rule of law, if empower economically social concerned with the production of food, distribution of resources, and consumption of goods and services will definitely change cultural customs and social behaviour of a society by acknowledging the cultural diversity. We initiated negotiations with the families affected, mediations and reconciliation based on the knowledge, customs and history of the people of Mt. Elgon towards conflict resolution aim at restorative justice and restoration of order, harmony and the maintenance of relationships within the community through reintegrating conflicting parties for true reconciliation.

Lesions learnt

The active role of the Deputy County commissioner and our peace committee in the dialogues help to provide a source of assurance of some level of community ownership. These leaders also answered security questions and we provided basic knowledge of peace.

The presence of the bereaved family was an approach used by TSCS to demonstrate empathy and standing in solidarity with family

 The dialogues opened and closed with prayers invited the aspect of spirituality amongst member present, peace and the word of God has worked out well in our ministry

The timely intervention by TCSC deescalated violence and through the dialogue the mountain returned to calmness

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a threat to the health of many, a lot of people have lost their beloved once in the last one year moreover the pandemic had other consequences that included curfew, lockdowns, travel restrictions, loss of jobs and school closure. In this situation   violence has been triggered easily in families, a father in Kaptama village of Mt Elgon assaulted his son to death for stealing ten shillings that was meant to buy paraffin, and mother in chepyuk village gave birth and throw her child in a pit latrine, the children was saved by the community members and woman is on the run, Erustas  our conduct in Mt Elgon is currently hosting the eleven-month baby. This and many other scenarios shows how people are frustrated and easily getting into violence that may eventually lead to trauma.

          Participants are always helped to create and learn cultures of peace through seeking alternative ways to violence, understanding what is violence through the tree of violence, which reminds participants on things that will erupt violence. Brainstorming the tree of non-violence show all the possibility of learning how good roots give birth to good fruits of nonviolence and for this to work one will need transforming power discernment when confronted in a violent way. In three days’ facilitators help participants to understand the five elements of transforming power of Caring for others especially during this difficult times of Covid-19 pandemic, respect for self and others, think before reacting, asking for a non-violent solutions and expecting the best. All this will help participants for learn how to affirm self and others, good communication which will help in cooperation and in case there is a problem, they will find out creative non-violent ways of solving which include use of I messages, problem solving using broken squares and role plays.

AVP program has helped deescalate violence among young people in Mt. Elgon, the training has played a key role in reducing direct violence in schools and community, we hope to continue to use the AVP tools in preparedness of our general elections are schedule for next year.

“The tree of violence was in me, I couldn’t think twice, and small misunderstanding will trigger me in a fight with siblings including my parents, I have had problems controlling my anger, learning about transforming power I feel am now able to control my anger and have the ability to judge well without getting in a fight” participants

“I wish to thanks the organization that has brought this training, the training is going to help all of us and especially my administration which be handling lots of cases of violence, if we allow transforming power to work in us, then this tree of nonviolence will grow in all of Mt. Elgon” area administrator

“Elections are coming next year youth you should not be used by politicians to peddle violence and cause mayhem, use this basic knowledge of non-violence to preach peace, make roleplays of peace in school and churches, practice I message at home to save this mountain from political violence” AVP facilitator

“The training was very educative and fun” participants