KISUMU, JULY 29, 2016 (CISA) – The Catholic Church, through Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (CJPC) in collaboration with Mennonite Church, has given material support to victims of ethnic clashes along the Kisumu-Nandi border.
“The support we are offering you today is to help you find a place to begin from. We cannot give you exactly what you lost, but this is to let you know that we are together with you in this sorrow,” said Fr Samuel Nyattaya the CJPC Coordinator of the Archdiocese of Kisumu.
Fr Nyattaya, who is also the executive secretary of ADOK, was speaking July 25 at Songhor police camp where close to 50 victims received the aid in form of building materials, foodstuffs and household items.
The day-long event focused on supporting families whose houses were burnt, who lost their dear ones, those who were injured, whose houses were looted and the good Samaritans who are housing the internally displaced. Fighting broke between the Kalenjin and the Luo communities at the Nandi/Kisumu border late June.
The fight left an estimated number of four dead, some injured and others homeless. Those affected took refuge at the nearby Achego camp, AIC and Posta in Songhor for almost two weeks.
“Even though there is support that has been given security wise, we ask the government to consider adding us more security officers to be in different locations within the village,” one of the residents requested during a peace talk with the church leaders.
“We as the Church will keep remembering you in our prayers that the Lord may give you that peace which you need, that you may stay peacefully and in love with one another,” Fr Samuel Nyattaya concluded.
The financial support to purchase the aid was received from the CJPC National office in collaboration with the CJPC Kisumu Diocese and CJPC Eldoret Diocese.
Apart from the Catholic and Mennonite churches, the residents have received support from the Kenya Red Cross, African inland Church (AIC) and other agencies.
Other places where aid was distributed include Kopere and Owiro. The tension is calming down following a peace talk by the Arch-Bishop of Kisumu Arch-Diocese Zaccheaus Okoth and Bishop Cornelius Korir of Eldoret Diocese.
