Today, I cede my space to my dear readers who provide insightful comments about the state of the nation, and the politics of backwardness that threaten us all. Above all, they make compelling suggestions on how to make Kenya a stable and prosperous nation. The first one is from none other than the chairman of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission, Francis ole Kaparo:

Thank you for your public letter which, were it not for the seriousness of the issues raised, could be considered hilarious.

I am happy to note that you have been following what I have been doing around the country. When I said: “We have a lot of bitterness, communities hating one another because they probably think their miseries; their lack of development and their backwardness is as a result of others having more resources than they do,” the Kitengela clashes had not happened.

But there are too many Kitengelas around Kenya and it worries me a lot.

It should also worry any right-thinking citizen, and particularly the political leadership of Kenya. Your son Tumaini should grow up in a society that is devoid of ethnic prejudices and in a society that is at peace with itself.

I truly wish that this can happen in my life time.

For that reason I spend most of my energies trying my best to see to it that this ideal is achieved, I know it is very difficult but I also know that we must deal with this problem firmly and promptly with all the energies that we can muster.

It cannot be done by one person, though.

It must be the duty of every Kenyan to fight for a cohesive and just society. Today, that’s my national assignment, which I consider the most important, yet the most difficult of assignments that I have undertaken for my country.

As the Chief Scout of Kenya, I will do my best. I am looking for partners to execute this major and important national duty.

I notice that you are one of those concerned with the tribal hatred that’s rife in our country. We must all attack it in Kajiado and anywhere else in Kenya.

I will send my officers as I will be out of the country briefly on duty, but I will personally go there upon my return.

I believe the officialdom in Kajiado need to know that what has been going on there is totally unacceptable.

By this letter, I demand to know the remedial actions that they have put in place to prevent further breaches that undermine cohesion and offend the law.

Francis ole Kaparo

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I read your piece on Kitengela with interest. I also live in the county of Kajiado, in a small town in Ongata Rongai called Oloosirkon.

I love it because it is peri-urban, abound with natural beauty. However, the issues that you highlighted also affect our town.

So far, we have enjoyed peace and quiet, but to help deal with the challenge of ethnicised politics, we formed a residents’ association early this year.

We created the platform for sharing issues relating to security, the environment, road infrastructure and most importantly, social cohesion.

As a matter of fact, your sister paper, The Standard on Saturday, has been generous enough to highlight our concerns regarding the Kitengela-Ongata Rongai Road.

In our welfare meeting last weekend, we discussed the violence that has rocked Kitengela in relation to our own situation. Do you have a similar forum in Kitengela? If not, maybe it’s time for the residents to join hands and pull together.

Awori Achoka

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Thanks for exposing what’s happening in Kajiado County. Just a month ago, at Ilbissil trading centre, some local women hounded out a businesswoman from another community under the pretext that she sells liquor. Media houses have been barred from exposing such incidents, and police officers, who should be upholding the rights of all, have been reduced to personal guards of the local elite. We are sitting on a time-bomb.

Kennedy Kipleting