Residents living along the Kericho-Kisumu border have been urged to embrace peaceful co-existence as the country gears towards the August 9 elections.

In a consultative meeting held at Sondu market and presided over by Kericho County Commissioner Karungo Kamau yesterday, the security team urged residents to live peacefully during the electioneering period.

Peace meeting, which was organised by the National Cohesion Integration Commission (NCIC) for security agencies from the two counties, recommended that officials from both sides be above board and discharge their duties without any bias, political leaning or favour.

“As security agents mandated to maintain law and order, you are  expected to discharge and render your services to all, especially as we enter the electioneering period,” Kamau said.

Kamau further noted that Sondu market was a cosmopolitan and important centre at the border of Kericho and Kisumu and appealed to police officers to ensure residents receive enough protection irrespective of their political leanings or ethnicity.

Kericho County Commissioner also appealed to NCIC to decisively act on inciters or people who are inclined to sow seeds of hatred and rumour mongers. He said such individuals should be made to answer their utterances.

He added that individuals who are known to incite communities against each other during elections should be identified and prosecuted.

Sam Kona, a commissioner with NCIC for the South Rift and Nyanza region, said they had identified trouble prone counties and singled out Kakamega, Nandi, Kisumu, Kisii and Kericho to engage residents, police and political actors on the need to preach peace and unity and refrain from acts of violence before and after the elections.

Kona said the commission had also dispatched a peace caravan where they use opinion leaders, artists, comedians and youth with the theme” ELECTION BILA NOMA” to preach and foster the existing peace and unity in areas that are likely to attract violence during the coming elections.

He said they have also listed areas that are likely to be marred by violence, which have existing criminal gangs, multi-ethnic groups, or cross border issues that have not been resolved.

-KNA