Business people and professionals have been accused of being aloof in the fight against crime.
The Rotary Club on Saturday said professionals have left the work to government and non-governmental organizations.
Speaking after being installed president of the Rotary Club of Mombasa Downtown, Hassan Mbondo said he is determined to change this narrative and ensure more professionals engage in community service.
“Rotarians believe that worldwide fellowship and international peace can be achieved when businesspeople and professionals unite under the banner of service,” Mbondo said.
Rotary Club of Mombasa Downtown is an affiliate of Rotary International, an global service organization whose purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service and to advance goodwill and peace around the world.
Mbondo works at Kenya Ports Authority in the legal department as an administrator.
Born in Kwale county, which has borne the brunt of radicalization, Mbondo said he was looking to start programs that will promote peace in Mombasa and the entire Coast region.
The new president said he chose peace and conflict resolution as his theme during his one-year tenure because of the suffering he has gone through because of insecurity, violence and extremism.
He said professionals should, in a structured way, help the community to achieve peace.
Mbondo said in most cases professionals do not want to share their time, talent and commitment.
“As Rotarians, we always share these virtues. We need more Rotarians in this world,” he said.
The president said conflict has a devastating impact in the world.
“It is, in fact, estimated that one billion people, including about 340 million of the world’s children, live in a fragile state, in extreme poverty and without stable and reliable governance and security,” Mbondo said.
He said without proper and timely funding, conflict can easily destabilize an entire region.
“Nobody doesn’t know about Wakali Kwanza. Nobody doesn’t know about Wajukuu wa Bibi. Nobody doesn’t know about radicalization,” Mbondo said.
Wakali Kwanza and Wajukuu wa Bibi are names of juvenile criminal gangs that operate mostly in Kisauni and Likoni constituencies in Mombasa.
