MKU to host International Peace Conference from 18th to 20th May

All is set for the Second International Conference on Peace, Security and Social Enterprise, to be held at Mount Kenya University from 18th to 20th May.

The three-day forum brings together stakeholders from the education sector, government departments as well as the private sector.

It comes against a backdrop of increased cases of banditry attacks in semi-arid areas and rising political temperatures ahead of the August 9th General elections.

The conference will be hosted at Mwai Kibaki Convention Centre at Mount Kenya University (Mku) main campus, Thika, and aims at providing a platform to dialogue and address pertinent issues on peace, security, and social enterprise for sustainable development at the global level and especially in Kenya during an electioneering period.

MKU Pro Chancellor Dr Vincent Gaitho said the theme of the conference is, ‘The role of universities, public and private sectors in peace building for socio-economic development’.

“MKU believes that by all of us joining hands, this conference will make a huge contribution in making not only Kenya but the world to embrace peace and tolerance at all times. I appeal to you that we all join hands to promote a peaceful and a tolerant society,” Gaitho said.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya is expected to be the chief guest while other notable speakers will include NCIC chairman Dr Samuel Kobia, Prof Mark Charlton of De Montfort University UK, The chairman of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) Ms Anne Makori and Kenya’s ambassador to Belgium Prof Bitange Ndemo.

Speaking during a forum to prepare for the conference earlier this year, MKU Vice-Chancellor Professor Deogratius Jaganyi represented by Dr. Evans Mwiti, decried the cycle of violence which happens every year before and after each General Election saying “MKU has decided to make contributions to minimize if not eradicate the impact of such violence during elections or any other time.”

During the meeting NCIC Chairman Dr. Samuel Kobia, Chairman, called for lasting measures to address tribal conflicts saying elections don’t necessarily dive Kenyans.

Dr Kobia told parents to stop discouraging their children from marrying from certain ethnicities saying, “Repeating lies that we heard in the past that basically made people from other ethnicities unfavorable companions.”

“We also have a serious trust deficit between Kenyans and their institutions. For example the Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) suffer a very low trust score among the populace. This fact means that whenever the IEBC declares a result, there is automatic doubt on the part of the loser,” he said.

Dr Gaitho regretted that Kenya has experienced firsthand consequences of intolerance in several instances, a route that should never be taken again.
“At MKU, we reckon that institutions of learning have an important role to play not only in teaching but also in imparting values of tolerance, mutual respect and embracing diversity among the youths of this region,” he said.

Dr Gaitho said MKU offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes on peace, security and justice through the institute of security studies, justice and ethics while many other institutions offer related programmes.