The recent killings of the four innocent Rendille students has demonstrated  that Marsabit County is not only perpetually volatile zone in Kenya but also in need of a serious reformation to capacity build and fast track sustainable peace building strategies and policies. Central in the nexus between development, governance and conflict resolution are process of state formation, state failure and state reconstruction. Existing policies within the government framework have been at odds with the needs of the governed; the policy imperatives are largely due to insufficient knowledge base forming the policies. Specifically, Policy gaps in: land allocation and utilization, resource management, peace-building and conflict management has fueled cycles of ethnic conflicts among the nomadic communities in Marsabit County and urgently need attention and addressed. Therefore, in light of the above painful and depressing incident,  we demand justice for the above innocent souls impacted by the tribal injustice, even to the point of loosing their own precious lives.

Nomadic communities in Northern Kenya were not only economically marginalized by central government, non-governmental actors, development agencies and local leaders in terms of resource allocation and service delivery for a longer period of time in Kenyan history but also share common denominator of cycles of sporadic and unexpected ethnic fights among themselves.While it is hard to narrow down the complex causes of the aforesaid tribal conflicts, the challenges of abject poverty, the miseries of resource based ethnic fights, corruption, cultural identity and fight for supremacy and control, proliferation of deadly arsenal from the neighboring and unstable nations like Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia, illiteracy, long and recurrent droughts aggravated by climate change and food insecurity has incubated and compounded uncertainties that quickly triggers ethnic conflicts among the predominant tribes of the aforementioned County.

As highlighted here below,

“On June 8th 2020, four innocent Rendille children were murdered in cold blood along the Songa-Badassa road,  Marsabit County. Their names are:

1. Jesca Leado, 23

2. George Obeile, 27

3. Dan Lantare, 17

4. Chuchu Mosor, 23

This heinous act was orchestrated and suspected to have been executed by our neighboring ethnic  community. These  killers are well known, protected and live amongst their own. It is high time our leaders to their own responsibility and walk their talk by enacting good  promises of establishing sustainable coexistence by swiftly handing over the perpetrators and let the justice take its natural  course. That aside, it is high time as responsible citizens we need to demand accountability from ALL our leaders in regards to above dejecting incident to avoid cycles of such incidents. All Marsabit county citizens need to be reminded that these killings have only exercebated since 1992 and has brought nothing but heartache and irreparable damage to all of us.” ~Miskeno Galgidhele

Therefore, we are trying to get the attention of the Kenya Interior Cabinet Secretary (Dr. Fred Matiangi) and Marsabit County Commissioner (Mr.Evans Achoki) to have those involved  in the murder of Jesca, George, Dan and Chuchu be arrested and charged.

Please help us get justice for Jesca, George, Dan, Chuchu and their families.

Below is how one Stephen Galgesa Basele would like to remember the fallen angels:

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“Towards the end of last year, two university students approached me to help organize as well as publicise the Rendille Cultural Night. The two were the officials of the Rendille University Students Association. When I accepted the offer, I got down to work, one of them, an over ambitious, over achieving young lass, and was the vice chairperson. Today, I receive the news of her death, in the hands of cruel bandits. Her name is Jesca Leado.

10 years ago, when I started my work life as a computer enthusiast, I didn't have a place to stay in Marsabit. A relative welcomed me to stay with them, and most of the days, I'll get home late in the evening, with my work computer. A young boy in the house would later nickname me uncle computer, and most mornings, I will walk him to school. I receive the sudden news of his demise, also fatally shot by bandits in Marsabit. His name is Dan Lantare, and for him, I'll give my all, to see that the senseless killers are brought to book. Oh God, his soul give eternal rest.

4 years back, I went to my former school, Kisima sec sch alumni. A young, energetic and extremely bright boy approached me. He told me that he comes from Marsabit, and has heard about me, that I was in the same school over 10 years before. We became friends, and every time I went back to school to mentor, he will always come to me wanting to learn more. His life, was also terminated by the bandits. A star has been dimmed when it shone the brightest. When he just started campus.He went to study IT at Kenyatta University. . His name is George Obeile. This night, I will offer a prayer for this beautiful soul.

The fourth soul, Chuchu Mosor the Boda Boda rider, an enterprising young man, fending for his family was also gunned down by the same bandits.

Four young souls, four bright stars, had their lives ended by the senseless tribal killings that have been the order of the day here in Marsabit. We demand for justice for the souls lost by the Rendille community. Justice must prevail for peace to prevail.”