Enhancing Peace and Cohesion Through the Wezesha Project

The County Government of West Pokot, in collaboration with key stakeholders, convened a pivotal meeting at the West Pokot County Public Service Board Boardroom to deliberate on the Wezesha Project. The session was chaired by Philip Ting’aa, County Director for Agriculture, and attended by Rev. Jackson Alukusia, County Director for Peace and representatives from organizations such as SIKOM, ACF, NDMA, IREP, KEPACO, POWEO, and KVDA.

The Wezesha Project, under the Kenya Electoral Conflicts and Civic/Voter Education Support (ECCES) program, aims to address peace and conflict challenges in the county using a people-centered, people-to-people peace-building model.

Key strategies include:

Establishing Amani Clubs in schools to foster dialogue and peaceful coexistence.

Training 36 cross-border women peace champions in quarterly sessions.

Organizing bi-annual elders' cultural peace summits to address security and political concerns.

Hosting quarterly radio talk shows and Amani conversations to promote peace.

The initiative targets conflict-prone areas such as Masol, Pokot North, Lomut, Endough, and Chesegon. During the meeting, Wilson Lonyang’ole, a meteorologist, emphasized the need for improved security in these regions to enhance peace efforts.

Supported by SIKOM, this nine-month project highlights the county’s commitment to fostering sustainable peace, security, and community cohesion.