State banks on policy to address challenges of marginalised communities

Members of the Ogiek community led by People's Development Programme CEO Daniel Kobei during the eighth anniversary since the ruling of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights at Marioshoni in Molo sub county, on May 26, 2025. [File, Standard]

The government has initiated the process of developing a national policy to address the long-standing concerns of marginalised and minority communities across the country.

During a meeting with the Talai community at Kiprugut Chumo Stadium in Kericho County, Josphat Lowoi Lodeya, Head of the Minorities and Marginalised Affairs Unit under the Office of the President, admitted that the lack of a clear policy framework has hindered the implementation of constitutional provisions meant for these groups.

"Although Articles 56 and 260 of the Constitution recognise minority and marginalised groups, progress has stalled due to the absence of a guiding policy," Lodeya said.

He revealed that the first draft of the policy has already been prepared, and the government aims to finalise it by December.

"We hope to have a policy and law governing the issues of minority and marginalised communities by December. From that point, every State Department will understand how to handle their concerns, while both national and county governments can engage with and plan for these communities," he added.

Lodeya assured that the new framework will provide a structured approach to addressing challenges such as access to resources, representation, and socio-economic inclusion for these groups.

National Talai Association Secretary General Kenneth Ngeno, welcomed the initiative but expressed concern that their community's issues remain unresolved despite previous interventions by government institutions, including the Senate and the Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Commission.

Ngeno regretted that the Talai were forcibly exiled from their ancestral lands in Kericho and Nandi under the Laibon Removal Ordinance enacted by the British colonial government in 1934.

"For years, we have demanded the resolution of historical land injustices, urging the state to allocate land for our resettlement as part of restorative justice," he said.

National Heroes Council CEO Charles Wambia, acknowledged the struggles faced by the Talai community and stressed the importance of recognition.