Mediation team formed to solve Marsabit strife

A bipartisan peace committee has been created to oversee equitable access to shared resources, mediate disputes, and provide proactive, homegrown solutions before disagreements escalate into violence between the Gabra and Dasanaach communities of Marsabit County.
The Joint Resource Sharing and Peace Committee was created on July 2, 2025, during the signing of a landmark peace accord between the two communities, bringing an end to close to two centuries of recurring conflict, bloodshed, and deep-seated mistrust.
The framework, which was funded by the National Security Council (NSC), borrows heavily from the Modogashe Accord, which ended the longstanding inter-ethnic clashes along the Garissa-Wajir border.
Mutual respect
According to the Ministry of Interior, the declaration, which was made in Illeret, North Horr, marks a transformative moment in the relations between the two communities and heralds a new era of reconciliation, mutual respect, and shared prosperity.
North Horr is by far the largest constituency in Kenya in terms of land mass, but the animosity between the two communities has persisted for five generations and has denied the area the full benefits of socio-economic development.
This breakthrough comes at a time when the government is intensifying grassroots interventions and communal efforts to bring sustainable peace and security to historically volatile areas in the country.
The negotiations were spearheaded by the local Catholic church, in collaboration with the national government and area MP, Wario Guyo.
Interior Principal Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo yesterday said the final document was drafted by a team of experts and local leaders with funding from the NSC through the Ministry of Interior.
PS Omollo hailed the accord as a “generational turning point” with the potential to reverse the 160 years of stagnation and insecurity.
“What we are witnessing today is much more than the signing of a peace declaration. The two communities have chosen to break the cycle of violence and bloodshed. Let this agreement not remain just words on paper, but become a real, lasting solution to the decades of conflict that have claimed countless lives and destroyed property across five generations,” the PS said.
He added: “This has been a journey of open dialogue, courage in the face of deep-rooted grievances, and the collective wisdom of our elders and youth.”
The Ministry of Interior said it is supporting these grassroots peace structures with resources, technical support, and long-term collaboration.
“We will walk with this committee every step of the way, from the ward level to the furthest village,” he said.