Governor Jackson Mandago has banned NGOs and hotels in Eldoret from holding meetings not authorised by his administration, fearing some could incite residents.
Mandago, who met community elders at his office on Monday, said DCI boss George Kinoti’s attempt to revive PEV cases could be part of a larger scheme to stir up ill feelings and violence.
“That’s why we’ve decided to regulate all meetings and activities in hotels and at the grassroots so we monitor everything happening. We have vowed and will not allow anyone to incite our people,” the governor said.
He said hotel owners must record names and details of meeting participants and first seek permission for a gathering from the county government and the county commissioner.
“NGOs will also have to seek direct approval from the county government and will be directed to work with peace committees and elders on the ground so communities are involved in all activities,
Mandago said.
He accused some NGOs, which he did not name, of continually branding the region a violence hotspot to attract external funding. The governor said residents had agreed long ago to live in peace after the 2007-08 post-election violence.
The county boss and his Nandi counterpart Stephen Sang have pressured Kinoti to quit over his recent bungled attempt to revive PEV cases.
Kinoti backtracked after creating a storm and President Uhuru Kenyatta said no PEV cases would be reopened. Kinoti said some people recently claimed they had been threatened.
Critics said troublemakers had rounded people up an paid them to record statements.
“If the President was true to his word in denouncing Kinoti’s actions, then the DCI should quit that position where he has no moral authority to continue serving,” Sang said.
The Nandi governor said Kinoti was serving the interests of a cartel or clique of individuals working to undermine peace and security in Rift Valley for their own political agenda.
Mandago expressed regret some local leaders were part of a recent scheme to mislead PEV victims to attend meetings called by Kinoti in Nairobi where reviving poll violence cases was mooted.
“Even the PEV victims have admitted that they were misled to travel to Nairobi by Kinoti and some individuals. We will have to deal with such individuals by stopping them from their evil schemes,” Mandago said.
He said leaders took the PEV issue seriously and would soon hold a security meeting in Uasin Gishu to discuss it and identify those intent on creating inter-communal tension.
