Security officials from West Pokot and Turkana during a joint meeting at Turkwel /JULIUS KAVITA/KNAThe Turkana and West Pokot governments have reaffirmed their commitment to peace, cross-border cooperation, and resilience among pastoralist communities following a one-day consultative meeting in Lodwar.
The forum organised in collaboration with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) brought together senior county and national government officials and development partners.
Turkana Central deputy county commissioner Rodgers Otieno, West Pokot executive for lands Esther Chelimo, West Pokot chief officer for special programmes Daniel Lopale and senior officials from DRC and Caritas Lodwar were among those in attendance.
Turkana chief officers Moses Korea and Janerose Tioko and others from the peace, livestock, and disaster management dockets, and administrators from Loima and Lokiriama also attended.
Korea stressed the need for closer collaboration between the two counties in addressing cross-border conflict, pastoralist movement, and pressure on shared resources.
He highlighted the role of dialogue between communities and local administrators.
Tioko said lasting peace and development depend on coordinated action across county and national government, communities and development partners. He urged partners to back government-led initiatives rather than run parallel efforts.
The meeting resolved to review conditions attached to Kenya's 14 approved inter-county and national cross-border routes used by pastoralists. They also proposed joint visit to the Kalomwae mining area to support peacebuilding following recent conflicts between Turkanas and Pokots.
They will also strengthen El Niño preparedness for pastoralist communities.
The meeting followed a fresh wave of insecurity along the Turkana–West Pokot border that has created tension despite the deployment of additional security personnel to some of the affected areas.
Seven people, four from Turkana and three from Pokot, have been killed in recent clashes linked to long-running boundary disputes, cattle rustling, mining activities and other disagreements.
The deaths have heightened concern in the Turkwel belt, particularly around Ramos in Pokot North subcounty, where residents continue to grapple with insecurity and limited access to essential government services.
The situation prompted an emergency joint security meeting at Turkwel police station, bringing together security teams and administrators from West Pokot and Turkana counties.
The meeting was co-chaired by West Pokot county commissioner David Saruni and his Turkana counterpart Julius Kavita.
The meeting was followed by a public baraza at Ramos, where residents and leaders discussed the escalating insecurity and possible measures to prevent further loss of lives.
Saruni said several insecurity incidents had been reported along the Turkwel belt in the past two weeks, describing most of them as intercommunal conflicts involving communities from the two counties.
He attributed the conflict to perennial boundary disputes, mining activities and cattle rustling, saying tensions escalated after a community elders' meeting failed to resolve emerging disagreements.
The situation, he said, deteriorated rapidly, resulting in the deaths of seven people from the two communities.
