- Samburu elders have declared an end to child marriage and warned that offenders will be arrested and prosecuted.
- The elders have resolved to tackle drug abuse, clan politics and insecurity while pushing for full school enrolment and modernised livestock production.
Samburu elders have launched a fresh campaign to keep every child in school, declaring that traditional practices that undermine education, including child marriage, must come to an end.
The Samburu Council of Elders Association (SCEA) said no child should remain out of school and warned parents and elders against marrying off underage girls.
Speaking at Kisima Springs in Samburu Central, SCEA patron Col. (Rtd) Richard Leiyagu said the community’s low school enrolment had fuelled a cycle of poverty, child marriage and female genital mutilation. He said Samburu needed to abandon outdated practices while preserving the positive aspects of its culture.
“The era when young boys served as morans to protect the community is over,” Leiyagu said, urging parents to take advantage of education to prepare their children for the future. “Countries like Israel take children to school, yet they protect their citizens, so young Samburu boys should be enrolled in school,” he added.
The elders declared a total end to child marriage, warning that anyone involved in the practice would be arrested and prosecuted.
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“This is a warning to all men, women and elders who hide under culture to marry off girls as young as 10 years. SCEA has declared an end to this harmful practice, which has kept our people in a cycle of poverty for generations,” Leiyagu said.
The declaration was made at Kisima Springs, a sacred site where the community traditionally holds oaths and major pronouncements. Elders from Samburu, Isiolo, Marsabit and Laikipia counties had converged there for a four-day general assembly to deliberate on issues affecting the wider community.
The council said implementation of its resolutions would begin immediately, followed by sensitisation campaigns across Samburu.
The elders also called for reforms in cultural governance, demanding that the long-pending Culture Bill, 2021 be considered and passed by the County Assembly, and assented to by the Governor, within one month. They said cultural values should be preserved, but practices that harm children or hinder development can no longer be tolerated.
Clan politics was also singled out as a major obstacle to development, with elders linking it to corruption, nepotism and unfair employment opportunities.
On the economic front, the elders called for the modernisation of livestock production, proposing improved veterinary services, better breeds and value addition to help pastoralist communities raise incomes while making livestock farming more sustainable.
Insecurity and internal displacement also featured prominently in the deliberations. The council resolved to promote peaceful coexistence through dialogue and community-led conflict resolution, and called for closer cooperation between national and county authorities and civil society organisations.
How to access KJSEA and KPSEA school-specific reports
The elders further condemned corruption and the rising use of drugs and other substances among young people, resolving to intensify community awareness, prevention and rehabilitation programmes, while calling on authorities to enforce stricter regulations.
Other resolutions touched on alternative justice systems, unemployment, declining family values and leadership.
The elders said the new resolutions were intended to steer the community toward greater unity, improved education and economic development, while ensuring that culture remains relevant to modern Samburu society.
By Kimutai Langat
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