Cohesion Talks Headed To Counties As Pamoja Conference Ends

The 3 day conference on national cohesion and integration has finally ended today with His Excellency president Uhuru Kenyatta affirming his commitment to uniting Kenyans. Speaking when he presided over the event the president assured that his government will set aside more resources towards unifying the country. He cautioned leaders against dividing Kenyans but instead work towards national cohesion and integration. “We must unify our people and our communities. That is how we will become the nation we were meant to be. But the process cannot be merely theoretical”, said president Kenyatta. The conference dubbed the Pamoja Conference was brought together more than 300 delegates from ethnic communities in the country, religious and the political class and members of the diplomatic corps. In his key note address to the delegates, the head of state pointed out that despite the various challenges the country was facing, no leader should divide Kenyans along tribal lines. Interior cabinet secretary Joseph Ole Lenku, lauded the organizers of the Pamoja Conference.

In his remarks the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), General Secretary Reverend Canon Peter Karanja, challenged political leaders to recognize the need to cooperate with their opponents as a means of fostering meaningful reconciliation in the country. Canon Karanja said that leaders must see collaboration with their former foes not as an act of altruism but one of enlightened self interest. “The breakdown of social structures has undermined cohesion not only in the community but also at the household level”, he said. The conference was also addressed by Danish ambassador to Kenya His Excellency Geert A. Anderson. The ambassador said that Danida governance structures had supported cohesion and integration in Kenya. The Pamoja Conference was a culmination of 6 years of intra and inter ethnic dialogue forums across the country. The conference now paves way for county forums through will communities will be encouraged to speak candidly about challenges facing cohesion and integration in the country and come up with ways on how to confront them. In their closing remarks, participants promised to continue with the initiative once the county forums begin. The conference was organized by the NCCK, the Inter Religious Council of Kenya, DANIDA and the National Cohesion and Integration Commissio (NCIC). Meanwhile the Public lecture that had been planned for tomorrow (Wednesday) at the University of Nairobi has now been re-scheduled to a later date. The decision was arrived at after the Deputy President William Ruto who was to deliver the lecture, left the country for the neighbouring Ethiopia to attend an urgent IGAD meeting.