Peace and Reconciliation – Seikeri Community

Rotary Club of Nairobi Muthaiga North members took action to address the underlying causes of conflict, i poverty and ethnic tension in a community in Kajiado. While strife and conflict surrounds us every day, we yearn to resolve our differences and find ways to “get along” and co-exist in in mutually beneficial environments. RC Nairobi Muthaiga North joined the community to refuse to accept conflict as a way of life. Saikeri is located within Kajiado County in Kenya and most of the inhabitants are the “MAA Community”. It borders Kiambu County which is inhabited by the Kikuyu Community. Saikeri area has about One Thousand (1,000) households with an average of seven (7) members in each household. These communities have been fighting for surface runoff that had collected in a private farm in Kiambu County.

RC NAIROBI MUTHAIGA NORTH CLUB HAS SEVERALLY INTERACTED WITH THE COMMUNITY IN RECENT TIME. WE HAVE CONDUCTED NEEDS ASSESSMENT

Members visited the community to assess their main requirement. In their visits Rotary Club of Nairobi Muthaiga North provided training that fosters understanding and provide the community with skills to resolve conflicts. The members partnered with other neighboring clubs to:

• Organized and run a peace baraza
• Organized and executed a foods-drive in In December, 2021. The community was hunger stricken; members contributed and worked with the community leaders and elders to facilitate the required food for each family during the drought.
• Visited and met elders of both communities to deliberate and touch base on the agreed action points to foster peace.

Following the visits and interactions with the community, it was concluded that water was their main cause of conflict and disharmony with cattle being their main source of life. RC Nairobi Muthaiga North propose to drill a borehole, install solar panel to pump water through renewable energy, erect a stand for the water tanks; build a water kiosk, erect a market shelter areas, put up human shelter at the bus stage, train the communities in micro lending (Table banking) and register community based organizations.

This will address the main conflict areas and provided permanent source of water which will bring peace among these neighbours. The sale of water will also boost the economic well-being of the residents.
RC Nairobi Muthaiga North in partnership with the community in this project agreed that the community will provide a public land to drill the borehole. The county government has already planned the area and a public land has been set aside for a market place, a bus park, secondary school and a primary school. The county government shall assist in managing the new market sustainably. Our proposal is to drill the borehole in the market grounds at Indikiro Trading Centre, within Saikeri Location.
Rotary Club of Nairobi Muthaiga North is the principle implementing club who have partnered with other clubs such as Rotary Club of Ridgeways and Rotary Club of Kikuyu.