- Kisauni and Nyali areas have been adversely mentioned as hotspot areas where election-related violence is expected to occur as politicians have their political pressure groups in these areas.
- This is due to the fact most youths are jobless, a situation he says politicians take advantage of.
Image: ONYANGO OCHIENG
Matatu touts and boda boda operators from Nyali and Kisauni constituencies in Mombasa have called for peace as the country heads to the polls on Tuesday.
Supported by Uzalendo Afrika Initiative, a Mombasa community-based organisation, they led peace walks in the two constituencies over the weekend calling on the community, especially the youth, to desist from utterances and actions that may threaten peace.
Mshomoroni matatu touts chairman Peter Oduor told Star they organised the peace walk because they were tired of the violence witnessed in the previous elections.
“As the youth, we are tired of being used to cause violence. Now that we have chosen the peace path, we want to follow it to the end. Kenya belongs to all of us,” Oduor said.
He said their aim was to change the narrative that has bedeviled Nyali and Kisauni as home to juvenile criminal gangs and drug addicts.
The two areas have been adversely mentioned as hotspot areas where election-related violence is expected to occur as politicians have their political pressure groups in these areas.
This he said was due to the fact that most youths are jobless, a situation he says politicians take advantage of.
“My humble appeal to fellow youths is that you need to take a firm stand of maintaining peace, whether jobless or desperate, don’t allow politicians with ill motives to take advantage of your vulnerability,” he said.
“Whoever wins, life must go on. We want to inspire the next generation that the life of crime and violence is not the way to an easy life.”
Kisauni subcounty assistant county commissioner Geoffrey Ochieng’ said fronting the youth on peace matters was paramount as they are able to engage their fellow youth in a language they understand.
He said as a government, they have been employing different approaches to ensure peace prevails by engaging the youth and mostly the candidates who are at the centre of it all.
“We have sat the candidates down and talked to them, those who have been mentioned have been summoned and warned.
“So far everything is calm as we approach these elections unlike before and we hope and pray that it will remain that way,” Ochieng said.
He said unlike the previous years, this election has been a bit calm except for a few incidences here and there which he said security teams deployed were up to the task to ensure calmness.
He further urged voters to go home after voting and ignore the call by some politicians calling on them, especially the youth, to remain behind and protect their votes.
“Don’t stay at polling centres kulinda kura, candidates have their agents in all polling stations and centres, they will do it. Vote and go home peacefully,” he said.
Uzalendo has deployed 24 peace builders fully trained and equipped on the ‘Early Warning Early Response’ Mechanism to the six subcounties in Mombasa to monitor the elections and mitigate any dispute that may arise before it gets out of hand.
The organisation executive director Anne Rose said the walks were meant to send messages of peace and hope in the two areas that have been identified as hotspots.
She said the walks were a result of continued dialogues and conversations they have had with the youth in their maskanis, most of whom have seen the need to change and spearhead the peace process.
“Peace is a collective responsibility and therefore it is our duty to promote and protect peace.
“We even have one of the reformed gang members working with us as a facilitator,” Rose said.
In March this year, the organisation launched the ‘Kijana Jihusishe’ programme that seeks to strengthen youth leadership capacities for a non-violent, free, and inclusive 2022 electoral process in Kenya.
The 18-month programme is funded by the European Union and targets to reach 447,000 people in Mombasa by June 2023.
“There are changes since we began the programme. In terms of political mobilisation, a lot has changed, the youth no longer just run to politicians, they interrogate their agenda down at the maskani level,” she said.
-Edited by SKanyara