Garissa leaders, residents seek to end inter-communal land conflict

Peace actors from Garissa during the marking of International Peace Day on Sunday /STEPHEN ASTARIKO

Leaders and residents of Garissa have raised the alarm over a surge in inter-communal land conflicts that have left several people dead and others injured in recent months.

Religious leaders, youth representatives, peace committees and government officials said the clashes, which have intensified over the past three months, were tearing the community apart. The latest incident erupted at Quba Islamic Centre in Garissa Township when rival groups violently confronted each other.

At a security meeting in Garissa town, Supkem secretary general Sheikh Hassan Abdi condemned the bloodshed, calling it “unfortunate and regrettable”.

“It is shameful that, as a community, we continue to fight each other over land. Many times we have seen people killed and others left with serious injuries. Surely what has become of us? Is this how low we have sunk?” he asked.

Abdi urged residents to end what he described as “madness”, pointing out that Garissa still has vast stretches of unoccupied and unutilised land. “Why would it get to the level of shedding blood over parcels of land when acres remain idle?” he posed.

He urged both levels of government and political leaders to take a stronger role in calming tensions, saying religious leaders would continue using their platforms to preach peace. “We can only do so much, which is to keep reminding our people to resolve disputes amicably when they arise,” Abdi said.

Garissa Central Assistant County Commissioner Kennedy Ole Ledama also condemned the violence, warning that the government would no longer tolerate insecurity tied to land skirmishes.

“We have swathes of land that can accommodate the entire population in Garissa. Why kill one another?” he asked, adding that security teams were drawing up measures to eliminate such conflicts in the town.

Ledama praised peace actors in Garissa for fostering dialogue, supporting youth projects, and countering radicalisation, but insisted that peace was a shared responsibility.

“Peace begins with us. It is not imposed; it is cultivated, and it is everyone’s responsibility,” he said.

Youth leader Nasteh Farah urged young people to resist manipulation by selfish individuals who exploit them to fuel chaos. He also pressed security agencies to deal firmly with rising teen violence in Garissa, cautioning against relying on alternative justice systems to resolve such cases.

Nep Technical Training Institute principal Abdirahman Shakul said instability in Garissa would worsen unemployment, disrupt education and erode the local economy.

As calls for peace mounted, one message rang clear: Garissa cannot afford to let land disputes keep spilling blood.