This archive report was first published on 4 July 2019.
Published on July 4, 2019, a three-day meeting under the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has led to the formation of a peace committee to find a lasting solution to the conflict between Mbwa Jumwali and Tchundwa villages in Lamu East constituency.
The conflict, which has been ongoing for years, has resulted in the loss of 20 lives and has raised security concerns in Pate Island, where the rivalry started among the residents.
Lamu East MP Ahmed Sharriff hailed the move as a step forward towards resolving a long-running conflict between some affected families from both villages, leading to heightened insecurity in the area.
The meeting was attended by Lamu women representative, Ruweida Obo, NCIC director of Peace and Conflict Resolution, Laban Wario, local leaders, and residents from the affected villages.
According to a security source, affected family members sometimes carry out revenge killings against alleged perpetrators' family members, even as far as Malindi and Mombasa, causing concern especially among the Bajuni community.
Low literacy levels are one of the reasons why youths are easily lured into engaging in crime and petty rivalries that sometimes prove fatal.
Residents from Mbwa Jumwali cannot access Mtangwanda jetty through the access road, which passes near Tchundwa, for fear of being attacked, while Tchundwa area residents cannot access Faza as the same access road passes next to Mbwa Jumwali.
