Years of conflict and war have ravaged Laikipia County, with neighboring communities competing for scarce resources to feed their families and livestock.
The county is home to both farmers and pastoralists occupying the northern, eastern and western constituencies.
Therefore, although most conflicts occur in the northern part of the county, they often extend to the west and east.
Laikipia's seasonal violence can be attributed to a variety of factors, including its location, geography, and cynical manipulation by politicians.
Surprisingly, almost 50% of the land in Laikipia County is owned by large ranchers, of which less than 30 are large ranchers.
The county borders pastoralist Baringo, Samburu and Isiolo counties, where farmers own large herds of cattle, and where much of the land owned by pastoralists lies idle. We recognize that this is the case.
In Kenya, pastoralists take pasture, water, and grassland for their livestock wherever they can find it. This is because pastoralism is livestock-driven and herders go to extreme lengths for their animals.
This therefore explains why they habitually invade Laikipia during the dry period from January to April, causing conflict each time.
The district borders the semi-arid districts of Isiolo, Samburu and Baringo, all of which are inhabited by nomadic herders, and drought has forced pastoralists to seek water and lush pastures in Laikipia. The search for this has led to bloody clashes that are repeated every dry season.
To combat this, a fertilizer company stepped in to provide a solution and control the rampage of violence. Introducing innovative agricultural techniques not only regenerates local soils, but also feeds local communities and significantly reduces conflicts and tensions over resources.
With carbon fertilizers being used in the region for at least a year now, the GPC Carbon Farming Group has begun to unite communities, solve endemic problems, end bloodletting, and even bring physical violence between mortal enemies. It even brought about some kind of contact.
On February 2, GPC CEO Joe Kariuki brought together more than 600 people from some of the most violent communities to the same table to feast, mingle, build peace, and support each other. vowed to end hostilities.
The event was held at Kariuki's huge Laikipia farm in the Rumuruti region, where various tribes including Kikuyu, Samburu, Maasai, Meru and Turkana performed a ritual of eating cows, as well as promoting carbon farming, conservation and We came together to raise awareness about the need for conservation and protection. Regenerate soil.
“For many years now, the soil in this region has not been fruitful. Farmers have actually stopped farming, which explains the constant strife and bloody battles between communities here. A lot has happened since we moved here over a year ago. We've seen magical changes in the area, people returning to farms, and an end to violence and senseless fighting over resources. I've seen him hit,” Joe Kariuki said.
Laikipia's tense environment also means residents are susceptible to being elected by manipulative politicians. Politics in this region is influenced because poor and marginalized communities feel forgotten by the state and are therefore easily influenced.
“We realized how easy it is for politicians to take advantage of these people and incite conflict,” Joe added. “This is one of the things we talked about and warned people about. These communities that normally don't see eye to eye can all come together, share a meal, forgive each other and create a new sense of brotherhood. I am pleased that we were able to achieve our goal of moving forward with this.”
GPC Fertilizer and its subsidiaries were introduced to Rumuruti Farm in early 2023. So far, thousands of farmers have not only benefited from the company's program, but it has also been praised for reaping meager crops, changing lives, and restoring harmony in the region. Regional instability.
In addition, all selected farmers from different communities were given free bags of corn, beans, and a variety of other agricultural products, making GPC a reality on its promise to change lives and restore communities.
