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THE ROAD TO PEACEFUL ELECTIONS

TANA RIVER COUNTY TO LAUNCH CONFLICT EARLY WARNING AND EARLY RESPONSE (EWER) GUIDE FOR PRACTICTIONERS

(Mombasa, TUESDAY 29TH, 2021): As the country approaches another electoral cycle, there is need to establish an effective conflict early warning and early response mechanism in Tana River County to help prevent political, economic and socially instigated intra and inter–ethnic conflicts in the area.

The response platform will help in anticipation and identification of conflict concerns in in the County which has in the past suffered violent conflict that led to the loss of lives and property of an unknown value.

Subsequently, in order to broaden the Early Warning Early Response (EWER) innovation, the Kenya Community Resource Centre (KECOSCE) has been that has been implementing the Building Peaceful and Cohesive communities in Tana River and Mombasa Counties project with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Safeguarding Democracy in Kenya (SADES-K) project. As part of interventions under this project, KECOSCE has produced an EWER guide for use by peace and security actors to strengthen participation in conflict information sharing and real time responses.

Titled Early Warning and Early Response: A Practitioner’s Guide, this important publication will be launched on the June 29, 2021 at an event that will held at the Marjan Hotel and graced by the Tana River County Governor Major (Rtd) Dr. Dhadho G. Godana and the County Commissioner.

At least 70 participants, both state and non-state actors will be in attendance in line with COVID-19 regulations.

Phyllis Muema, the Executive Director of the Kenya Community Resource Centre (KECOSCE) says since January 2020 approximately 500 conflict-based reports have been shared in the County resulting in proactive responses that averted crisis.

“The reports led to the arrest of criminals and prevention of inter-ethnic conflicts in Chara, Kipini and Hamesa Kajisteni areas,” Ms Muema said adding that the efforts had contributed to the County remaining relatively peaceful allowing for economic growth and investment in the area.

“The system has a dedicated alert number which enables communities send short text messages (SMS) and make phone calls to report conflict concerns and potential security threats,” said Ms Muema.

The system is supported by a network of 30 peace monitors who collect information for triangulation and verification by National Government officials and local peace structures to enhance response action.

Tana River County is one of the frontier counties in Kenya that have since independence suffered from conflict driven by resource use, ethnic based political competition and socio-economic marginalization.

Political driven conflicts have in the past affected Tana River with the county experiencing its worst violence in 2012 where over 400 people were killed, villages burnt down and thousands of people displaced to neighbouring Kilifi, Lamu and Mombasa counties.

The production of this guide was supported by the Safeguarding Democratic Space in Kenya (SADES-K) project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).  This event will present a platform to show case the impact of interventions implemented by KECOSCE in collaboration with support from SADES-K in conflict prevention and mitigation in the County and its contribution to ethnic cohesion, and encourage stakeholders to sustain the initiatives.

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ABOUT KECOSCE:

The Kenya Community Support Center (KECOSCE) was founded in 2006 and has been working in the coastal region of Kenya, it was established to address democratic governance, socio‐economic and youth concerns with a focus on the coast of Kenya. The main purpose of Kenya Community Support Center (KECOSCE) is to promote and facilitate institutionalization of the values and practices of good governance at all levels of society as a basis for sustainable social‐economic development. The organization is registered in Kenya by the government as a Non‐Governmental Organization under Section 10 of the Non‐Governmental Organizations Coordination Act.

For more information, please contact 

The Executive Director

Kenya Community Support Centre (KECOSCE)

Pembeni Road, Nyali

P.O. BOX 42944-80100, Mombasa

TELEPHONE 0716777230, 020 2435408

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.kecosce.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kecosce.pwani

Twitter: @KECOSCE

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