Slow development fueling conflicts, say regional lawmakers

Legislators from the East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) have expressed disappointment over slow development and poor education standards in marginalised pastoral areas which they said fuel regional conflicts. The regional lawmakers observed that the concerned governments have not put adequate measures to uplift lives singling out Kenya and Uganda with unimpressive development records in pastoral regions. The parliamentarians on a fact finding mission to regions along the Kenya-Uganda border described the development scorecard in the region as below expectations of the regional assembly. According to Abdulkarim Herelimana, the assembly recommended that the governments should strive to end cross-border conflicts resulting from cattle rustling and outdated cultures. “We endorsed various recommendations which we expected to be embraced by the concerned governments for fruitful improved livelihoods but we are not happy with the slow trend in the implementation of the agendas,” Herelimana said in Kapenguria. The team said it was not impressed with the education standards in Pokot County, arguing that most schools are poorly developed and lack teachers. “We proposed that education be steered up to encourage enrolment and curtail retrogressive vices hampering human development in the region,” said legislator Augustine Lotodo Monges. In 2005, the East Africa Community (EAC) submitted recommendations to regional governments for implementation in order to accelerate development in marginalised regions. The regional governments were expected to stop communal killings and also develop schools and boost education standards among communities in the Karamoja cluster. The committee lamented that the Kenyan government is yet to punish political incitement for personal interests. “We recommended that politicians instigating tribal violence for political gains be punished because it is regrettable to shed blood to enable a person to ascend to power,” noted Herelimana. African leadership, the committee noted, has the tendency of propagating communal animosities to manipulate elections and urged the electorate to reject such leadership. “The blood of civilians cannot be lost for the sake of personal interest of leaders. We must discourage and avoid this kind of brand of politics,” said the lawmaker. He said the EAC had formulated policies to help the regional bloc to achieve desirable economic growth in bid to tackle numerous issues affecting the population.The committee visiting districts along Kenya and Uganda is set to sensitise the citizens the operations of the assembly and also help address conflicts. “Our mission is to sensitise the people about our role and also identify the challenges facing the population,” Monges said. Monges assured the assembly’s commitment to resolve the regional conflicts citing the intervention on the disputed Migingo Island pitting Kenya and Uganda. The Assembly said Monges had unveiled a committee to campaign for peace among warring pastoralists to enhance co-existence.