WEEKLY CONFLICT BRIEF FOR EALY WARNING EARLY RESPONSE DATED 8th TO 14TH OCTOBER 2021
1.0 KEY ISSUES FOR THIS REPORT
KECOSCE is implementing the Resilience, Peace and Stability (RPS) project in Kilifi County. This project is supported by the Royal Danish Embassy through Act, Change and Transform (ACT). The project is focusing on political, natural resource and violent extremism conflicts. Inorder to understand the ongoing conflict environment in the Coast Region, KECOSCE has deployed a regional Early Warning and Early Response Mechanism that collects data from all the six counties of the Region. The data is analysed, verified and disseminated to key response actors for proactive interventions to protect the population from the effects of escalated conflicts. During this week, KECOSCE EWER System received Seventeen (17 verified alerts and incident reports from the peace monitors and the general public from various parts of the coast. The rate of reporting remained constant as the number of disseminated incidences and alerts in the first week is equal to that of this second week. The key issues were criminal activities, Gender Based Violence, political issues involving political party wrangles, police brutality claims and resource based conflicts. The report looks at terror activities in the coast as 6 KDF soldiers are injured in a terror related activity. For more information on incidents and alerts disseminated during this week please visit our crowd map at https://kecosces.ushahidi.io/posts/43017
2.0 CONFLICTS REPORTED BY CATEGORIES
In this week, criminal gangs were reported in Nyali, Kisauni and Msambweni which involved theft. Robbery and illegal gang operation. Incidents of Resource Based Conflicts were reported in Tana River where a resident lost his life after he was depressed over effects of drought. During this week the system disseminated the reports on criminal activities, Gender Based Violence, police brutality, political issues, resource based events and terror related events.
3.0 CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES UPDATE
The rate of crime in the coast reduced by 36.36% with incidences of imported criminals contributing to the state of insecurity. The main suspect in the murder of the celebrated 5,000m Kenyan Olympian Agnes Tirop in Elgeyo Marakwet County was arrested at Changamwe in Mombasa (according to the DCI report) The Kwale County Commander Steve Oloo called upon the cooperation of the Nyumba Kumi Ambassadors and the chiefs in fighting crime in Kwale. This follows the claims that a new juvenile gang that possess as a local football team has formed and is operating in Msambweni Sub County.
Increase in criminal activities in the coast.
As the region remains steadfast in fighting crime, the crime rate was high during this week as 7 criminal events were reported into the EWER system. These events involved illegal gang activities where armed youths were spotted in various hot spot areas such Junda in Kisauni and Msambweni in Kwale. Drug abuse alerts were disseminated from Kadzandani in Nyali. A total of 5 alerts on illegal gang activities were reported.
A woman drugs Kisumu county officials in Nyali.
A woman was on 8.10.2021 arrested by the police in Nyali after she allegedly in company of 2 others (who escaped) spiked the drinks of the officials. The plan is said to have flopped after the suspect accidentally consumed a drink meant for the officials. The incident is being handled by the Nyali police station.
Crime on the rise in Kisauni.
Residents of Manyani, Bombo and Majaoni are calling upon the security team to intensify patrols following frequent appearance of suspicious youths believed to be armed with machetes on the move.
This comes in following events where over 4 shops were broken into by illegal gangs. During the events, property was stolen and vandalized. Also, rumors of the MRC insurgency were reported from Vikwatani. The militia is believed to be organizing and targeting to be utilized in the crippling of the electoral process during the forthcoming General Elections. Security teams are advised to stop illegal gatherings.
New criminal gangs emerge in Kwale.
As Kwale County continues to battle against importation of criminal gangs from its neighboring Counties including Mombasa and Kilifi Counties, more juvenile gangs are forming. The latest one is operating as a local football club in Msambweni. The gang which poses as a football club allegedly attack residents in Msambweni areas after attending the football matches (according to Kwale County commander).
Student dies in School in Kilifi:
A student at Ganze Girls High School in Kilifi county hanged herself in school under unclear circumstances. The boy of Saumu Anderson Katsoma was discovered around 4am on Friday dangling from a cloth line metal bar within the school with a bed sheet around the neck. Police are investigating the cause of death while some community members say she had a huge school fees balance that traumatized her. We are still following up on the matter.
4.0 RESOURCE BASED CONFLICTS.
Coast Development Authority cushions Kilifi residents from drought effects.
Even as drought intensifies in the coast, over 600 families of Chakama village in Kilifi are reaping the fruits from a 34 million-shilling irrigation project funded by the Coast Development Authority. The aim of the project is to make Kilifi County self-reliant and reduce overreliance on relief food. The project which was commissioned by the Coastal regional commissioner John Elungata, has supported Gava, Kibora and Kanduru schemes on an 800-acre piece of land in Chakama irrigation.
Drought effects intensifies in the coast.
Most of the coastal counties comprising of Kilifi, Lamu, Tana River and Kwale have reached alarming levels of food and water scarcity and require urgent response to the crisis affecting the residents due to failed rains. Also, lack of water continue to heighten the conflicts between humans and the animals as they compete for degrading water and food sources. However, no incidences of human-animal conflicts were reported.
Residents of Kwale appeal for humanitarian rescue from drought.
Residents of Kwale are suffering due to water drought. They are forced to trek More than 200,000 residents of Kwale are starving and being dehydrated as the effects of drought worsens. The affected people are now calling for humanitarian assistance to rescue them from the ravages of the drought. Over 1000 livestock have succumbed to drought reducing food sources. The worst affected area is Samburu in Kinango.
5.0 POLITICAL ISSUES UPDATES.
The deputy president William Ruto has begun his 6-day tour at the coast where he held his first rally in Voi, Taita Taveta on 14.10.2021 and a second rally on 15.10.2021 in parts of Kilifi County. While championing his hustler nation slogan, he brushed off Raila Odinga’s social empowerment model as a copy and paste mantra of the Jubilee administration which amounts into cash out, which he considers demeaning to the jobless youths counting on the government.
Violence almost erupted in Gongoni in Kilifi on Friday after a political rally addressed by H.E The deputy president. The cause of tension was the alleged cash offer amounting to kshs.1.2million given to support transports reimbursement for participants who had been drawn from all wards in Magarini Constituency. Those given the case are said to have left together with the DP leaving the participants stranded and unable to travel back to their homes.