The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has embarked on training of youth leaders from 19 counties prone to conflict to enhance peace and tranquility.
The trainings target at least 500 leaders who in turn were expected to cascade the peace building initiative to their peers and communities to ensure that the country remained peaceful.
The NCIC Head of Communication, Olive Metet said the initiative was arrived at following mixed reactions after the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Opposition leader, Raila Odinga.
Speaking in Kisumu on Tuesday, Metet said through the training, NCIC targets to reach out to disgruntled youth who had different expectations and were yet to embrace the handshake.
“We are targeting youth mainly from informal settlements and our focus is on the positive things in the handshake so as to bring them on board and embrace peace,” she said.
Metet said apart from the youth, NCIC was conducting similar capacity building trainings for other groups to ensure that the country remained peaceful for development to take shape.
Over 40 youth leaders drawn from Manyatta, Nyalenda and Obunga informal settlements in Kisumu Central Sub County were trained on national values and principals, the role of youth in peace building and conflict management as well as the role of youth fund in promoting youth enterprises.
The youth leaders were expected to develop an action plan for a peaceful and cohesive county.
Speaking during the official opening of the training, Kisumu Central Deputy County Commissioner (DCC), John Cheruiyot asked the youth to rethink their role in promotion of peace to promote healing and national coexistence.
The DCC urged the youth to desist from being lured into violence by politicians and individuals out to use them to advance their selfish gains.
Youth, he said, must employ alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to build a peaceful and violence free country.
By Chris Mahandara
