CRIME AND CONFLICT (article was published on The Star: 19th June 2019)
Professionals, traders urged to fight crime
New president of Rotary Club Mombasa Downtown Hassan Mbondo tells professionals to engage in community service
Image: JOHN CHESOLI
In Summary
• Many of them do not want to share their time, talent and commitment.
• Professionals said to have left fight against crime to government and NGOs.
Business people and professionals have been accused of being aloof in the fight against crime.
The Rotary Club on Saturday said professionals have left the work to government and non-governmental organizations.
Speaking after being installed president of the Rotary Club of Mombasa Downtown, Hassan Mbondo said he is determined to change this narrative and ensure more professionals engage in community service.
“Rotarians believe that worldwide fellowship and international peace can be achieved when business people and professionals unite under the banner of service,” Mbondo said.
Rotary Club of Mombasa Downtown is an affiliate of Rotary International, an global service organization whose purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service and to advance goodwill and peace around the world.
Mbondo works at Kenya Ports Authority in the legal department as an administrator.
Born in Kwale county, which has borne the brunt of radicalization, Mbondo said he was looking to start programs that will promote peace in Mombasa and the entire Coast region.
The new president said he chose peace and conflict resolution as his theme during his one-year tenure because of the suffering he has gone through because of insecurity, violence and extremism.
He said professionals should, in a structured way, help the community to achieve peace.
Mbondo said in most cases professionals do not want to share their time, talent and commitment.
“As Rotarians, we always share these virtues. We need more Rotarians in this world,” he said.
The president said conflict has a devastating impact in the world.
“It is, in fact, estimated that one billion people, including about 340 million of the world’s children, live in a fragile state, in extreme poverty and without stable and reliable governance and security,” Mbondo said.
He said without proper and timely funding, conflict can easily destabilize an entire region.
“Nobody doesn’t know about Wakali Kwanza. Nobody doesn’t know about Wajukuu wa Bibi. Nobody doesn’t know about radicalization,” Mbondo said.
Wakali Kwanza and Wajukuu wa Bibi are names of juvenile criminal gangs that operate mostly in Kisauni and Likoni constituencies in Mombasa.
New President Hassan Mbondo has chosen Chagua Peace Initiative as his signature project during the Rotary year 2019/2020
The project is intended to promote peaceful coexistence in the target area by coming up with various activities targeting teenagers . This is the most vulnerable age, targeted by drug peddlers and extremists
The noble and very important project is aimed at achieving peace and harmony amongst individuals and communities ,will focus on the following key areas:
- Peace through talent nurturing
- Peace through Sports
- Peace through drug abuse awareness
- Peace through creating Ambassadors in the communities
- Collaboration with community organizations
- NB: Our target are kids below thirteen years. These are the most vulnerable
