EAST POKOT, JULY 19 2019 (CISA)- The Rt. Rev Maurice Muhatia, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Nakuru, has called on the leadership of East Pokot to prioritize development in the area as a way of fosterig peace.
“Development is another name for peace. When people are under developed, when people are denied development, it is a recipe for chaos. How do you remove chaos? Develop a people, and what is the best way to develop a people? Build their capacity to develop themselves. That is the most sustainable development” he noted.
Speaking during the East Pokot education initiative 2019 fundraising drive at Barpello mission, Bishop Muhatia also emphasized on the need to educate the community which will in turn help the people achieve sustainable development.
“It is true, many of our children have not gone to school, and it is not good. It is an indictment on us, as members of this Kenyan country, and of this community. We must do something,” he said
The prelate further called on the leadership of the majorly pastoralist East Pokot community to join hands and eliminate the perennial peace destructing culture of cattle rustling, saying that the few individuals who engage in the habit, should not render the whole community peace less.
“Not everybody in Pokot is a cattle rustler, these are a few individuals and it is good for people out there to know that. Most people here are peace loving. We cannot condemn an entire community because of these few individuals. But we work together towards a peaceful solution towards these problems. These people desire peace like anyone else. Let us join our hands to ensure this is achieved,” he said.
Bishop Muhatia expressed gratitude to the faithful in the region for their commitment in attending the fundraising and for their financial support towards the success of the initiative of educating East Pokot children.
The East Pokot education initiative was launched in 2015 with a focus to annually fundraise money through the diocesan institutions, friends of the diocese, the East Pokot community and individuals towards educating the children in the region.
According to the Uwezo fund findings (2013), East Pokot region,in Baringo County has the lowest literacy and numeracy rates in East Africa.
