The national government has announced plans to strengthen an elder-led framework to address recurring land disputes and resource conflicts in Garissa County.
The move was revealed during the 47th edition of the Jukwaa La Usalama grassroots security forum, held at the Garissa County Headquarters and hosted by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen.
Garissa, a hub of livestock farming, cross-border trade, and irrigated agriculture, has enjoyed relative peace and stability. However, land disputes, resource-based tensions, and inter-clan misunderstandings persist as significant security challenges.
Elders have long played a critical role in reconciling communities, and the government now intends to formalise their involvement through structured mechanisms that will complement state-led adjudication.
“Elders have been very instrumental in resolving disputes and improving understanding between different communities with government support.”
“We are working on a framework to facilitate them to achieve more. This includes structured discussions between clan leaders to pave the way for land adjudication,” said CS Murkomen.
The CS praised the collaboration between security agencies and the community, noting that multi-agency teams had contained cross-border threats from Somalia.
He emphasised that security and development are closely intertwined, citing ongoing infrastructure projects, including the Isiolo-Mandera Highway, Garissa-Dadaab-Liboi Road, and Lamu-Ijara-Garissa Road, as game changers for both economic growth and long-term peace.
Garissa Governor Nathif Jama welcomed the Interior CS, applauding the Jukwaa La Usalama platform as vital for strengthening security coordination between national and county governments.
He urged support for fast-tracking the issuance of national ID cards to residents delisted from the refugee database, minimising the impact of foreign-issued security alerts, and establishing more police stations across the county.
The forum also highlighted challenges at the Dadaab Refugee Complex, where recent donor budget cuts have worsened food and water shortages.
Murkomen assured that the government is pursuing development partner commitments to roll out the Shirika Plan, which aims to expand investment opportunities for both refugees and host communities.
During his visit, the CS conducted a spot check at the Garissa Airstrip, where upgrading works are underway.
He lauded the speed and quality of the construction, commending the county government's input in supporting national projects.