1. Posted on Friday 15 February 2008 - 10:05

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   AfricaNews editor

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   Dennis Itumbi, AfricaNews reporter in Nairobi, Kenya, photo: Lameck Nyagudi

   Armed residents are surrendering their guns in Kenya's West Pokot District of Rift Valley so as to participate in a lucrative race organized by world renowned athlete Tecla Lorupe who is promising life changing fortunes for both participants and winners.

   

   The Athlete's sole condition for participants is: drop the gun and embrace peace.
   
   As a result dozens of warriors in West Pakot have abandoned cattle rustling to join the Tecla Lorupe Athletics Training Camp.
   
   The foundation's District field officer Jackson Pkemoi said the men were training at the camp and that 25 would each receive ten goats after exercise.
   
   Pkemoi said this was part of the foundation’s effort to find an alternative source of livelihood for the warriors and reduce cattle rustling in the area.
   
   He warned of a looming food shortage in Kapenguria and neighbouring Trans-Nzoia which he blamed escalating local cattle raids. “The raids have assumed new organized dimensions among the Pokots, Sengwer and Marakwet."
   
   He said the foundation was trying to identify cattle rustlers willing to abandon the outdated culture.
   
   He said families that had lost their cattle in the raids would each receive one dairy cow under the foundation's re-stocking for peace programme.
   
   Pkemoi appealed to stakeholders to avert the menace along West Pokot and Trans-Nzoia border. “Many families have fled from their homes with cattle”.
   
   
   See the whole Tip-to-Annan series
   
   See videos on post-election Kenya and on the whole election coverage
   See the Kenya Protest - Day One photo gallery
   See The Kenya Protest - Day Two photo gallery
   See the Nakuru displaced photo gallery
   See the burial of violence victim photo gallery
   
   
   Keywords: kenya_elections

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Reactions

1. Posted on Friday 15 February 2008 18:39

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   Dipesh

   

   Dipesh Pabari
   65 berichten
   Lid sinds September 2007

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   These are the kind of practical solutions we need! She has achieved more through this initiative than all the politicians sitting around drinking tea! Tecla is a hero!

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   Dipesh Pabari

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