National Cohesion and Integration Commission chairperson Samuel Kobia has said that the commission will petition Parliament to rename counties that are identified by specific ethnic groups.
“NCIC shall advocate for the tabling of a motion in parliament for renaming counties that are identified by specific ethnic groups to eliminate potential discrimination along ethnic lines,” he said.
Kobia stated that the counties include Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Nandi, Kisii, Turkana, Embu, Samburu, Taita Taveta, West Pokot, and Elgeyo Marakwet.
He spoke on Monday during a press briefing on the state of peace and cohesion in Kenya.
Kobia said the commission had identified land and boundary disputes as enduring sources of conflict in Kenya over time and renaming of counties is among the measures to solve county boundary disputes.
“We estimate that 33 out of the 47 counties have boundary-related conflicts. Given that most of the counties have been created along ethnic lines boundary conflict easily translates into ethnic conflict,” he said.
He further underscored the commission’s commitment to ensuring Kenya remains a peaceful society and the measures taken to ensure communities coexist peacefully such as spearheading dialogues and reconciliation meetings between the conflicting communities.
“We continue to ensure that communities along the boundaries coexist peacefully through continuous dialogue among the various stakeholders in the regions,” he said
“We are committed to ensuring Kenya remains a peaceful society and that the gains made over the last many years are solidified.”
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