Nairobi: The government has launched a Nairobi County Multi-Sectoral Coordination and Collaboration Forum on Peace and Security, spearheaded by the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, MIDRIFT HURINET, and the National Steering Committee. The forum is aimed at fostering collaboration among government agencies, civil society, community leaders, and other sectors to promote peace and security in Nairobi County, while coming up with strategies to enhance sustainable peace solutions and promote social cohesion at the grassroots level.
According to Kenya News Agency, speaking during the launch, Nairobi County commissioner, David Wanyonyi, stated that they are looking forward to implementing the Principal Security Services Circular on the formulation and activation of regional, county, and sub-county multi-sectoral peace and security committees. Wanyonyi noted that these circulars were received earlier in July and September of this year, which prompted the mobilization of all regional commissioners in
Kenya to a venue in Nairobi for the launch of the Regional Sectoral Peace and Security Committee.
The county commissioner emphasized the urgency in rolling out the regional sectoral peace and security committee to the county level, with Nairobi being among the first counties to have embraced the circular. In his remarks, Joseph Omondi, Executive Director of MIDRIFT HURINET, mentioned that their work revolves around three key thematic areas: peace and security, governance, and human rights. This initiative aims to develop a standard locality of procedures and explore how to establish and launch county works.
Omondi announced the organization of another forum in Nakuru, where they plan to launch the Multisectoral Coordination Forum, followed by Baringo County. He explained that the Multisectoral Coordination Forum is significant in uniting both state and non-state agencies to discuss peace and security, aiming to integrate the peace act, youth, women, and the private sector.
Furthermore, Omondi elaborated on
the Nyumba Kumi Initiative, which is a platform set to discuss matters of peace and security and bring together resources, whether human or financial, to ensure the peace and security agenda is implemented at the community level. He emphasized that the micro-coordination cooperation forum provides a unique platform for local communities to choose who will be on the committees, allowing them to take ownership of the process. This approach ensures that local communities have a better understanding of the context and are empowered to make informed decisions.
The rollout of this implementation aligns with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16, which calls for the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies, ensuring access to justice for all, and the development of effective, accountable institutions at every level.