World Peace Day Commemorated in Kajiado County
By Joaquim Jejo
“I have never seen any place where the there is a requiem mass or burial where the government is buried but I have seen many burials for people who have been involved in violence,” these were words said by the Kajiado County Commissioner on 21st September at the Kenya Wildlife Staff Quarters in Ngong town while addressing residents of the area and its environs at a public function.
The event, which had been organized and hosted by the Rotary Club of Ngong Hills and The Kajiado North Sub County administration in collaboration with the Rotary Clubs of Ongata Rongai,Ongata Rongai East and Kiserian was done to commemorate World International Peace Day which is celebrated worldwide. The ceremony attracted a number of partners: Inspire Foundation, National cohesion and integration Commission (NCIC) and bodaboda crew. In attendance were also representatives of different sectors of the community like the youth and people living with disabilities among others.
Though this day has been previously celebrated at the national level, it usually passes unnoticed by many. That is why its success was a huge step towards promoting, maintaining and fostering peaceful co-existence between residents of Kajiado County as a whole and Kajiado North Sub County especially when the country is preparing to go to the ballot on 9th August 2022.
Speaking at the event, the president of the Rotary Club of Ngong Hills, Rotarian Anthony Wafula PHF spoke of the numerous activities that his club has been doing in order to ensure that the area of Ngong becomes a better place than they found it through identifying areas that need assistance and acting on them by involving the community. He also reiterated on the seven Rotary areas of service, the Rotary Grace and The four Way test; which acts as pillars of guidance. The focus areas include
Some of the club’s ongoing and previous projects include the planting and nurturing trees in paddocks and fencing them at the Ngong Hills, erection of a bodaboda shed at Zambia Stage, planting and fencing of Oloolua Forest and issuance of bursaries to students of Oloolua Secondary School among others. They also helped to start a Bodaboda Sacco which now boasts of a huge membership and even a PSV bus that plies the busy 111 Ngong road route.
The publicity of the event was above board with representatives from mainstream media houses such as Citizen,NTV and local Media such as Bus Radio,Domus Radio,Elveza and Mapacha Media being represented. It was also well coordinated. It began with a tree planting exercise at the Kajiado North Scouts Grounds in Ngong then there was a walk that led to the KWS grounds where presentations and speeches were done. Before the tree planting process began, Rotarian Mwangi John PHF who is the One Million Tree Campaign chair of the Rotary District 9212 which comprises Kenya Eritrea and South Sudan spoke on the importance of growing trees. The district intends to plant one million trees by July 2022.
All the speakers at the event had only one common word in their utterances, peace. Just as Kajiado county has been peaceful since independence, such messages can ensure that every part of Kenya and the world remains peaceful.
Jejo is a professional writer, youth leader, radio presenter and producer, ICT Trainer and Past President of The Rotaract Club of Ngong Hills.
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