Kakamega: A call has been made to the Government to retain the title of the village elders as currently recognized in the Draft National Government Village Administration Policy. The call comes as the government rolls out a policy that is meant to integrate village elders into the mainstream National government administration.
According to Kenya News Agency, a majority of participants, who spoke during a public participation forum on the draft government village administration policy in Kakamega town, opposed a proposal by some participants who wanted to attach academic qualifications to the position as well as renaming it village administrators. They said the name village elder alludes to the central role the elders play in maintaining law at the grassroots level and as the first contact persons in receiving information from aggrieved parties, a role that they have done well over the years.
During the regional public forum that brought stakeholders from the counties of Kakamega, Busia, Vihiga, and Bungoma, the majority of the speakers maintained that as long as one was recognized through public participation, was knowledgeable about the village, culture, and the residents and meets Chapter Six of the constitution on integrity as enlisted in the draft policy, academic qualifications should not be used as criteria for qualification.
Under the proposed policy, the elders who have been serving voluntarily and only surviving on the goodwill of the communities they serve will now be paid an honorarium. A human rights activist from Vihiga County, Stephen Chahasi, welcomed the move to pay the village elders a stipend but proposed that the government should instead pay them a salary so they benefit from other government benefits like being members of the Social Health Insurance Fund.
A village elder from Busia County, Hector Osuru, urged the government to insulate village elders from being targets of attacks when they reported suspected criminals to security agencies. Osuru lamented that more often than not suspected criminals were left scot-free by the police and proposed that the village elders be allowed to give evidence in courts of law.
Western regional Commissioner, Irungu Macharia, said the village elders were the closest to the people in their role in enhancing government service delivery, hence the need to include them in the formal government's administrative structure. Macharia said the objective of the policy was to establish clear structures within villages to ensure a well-coordinated approach and complement coordination between National, county government and wananchi.
He said the government would establish the National Government Police Unit to work with local NGAO officers in enhancing harmony in communities. He stated that there was no foreseen conflict of reporting between National Government Administrative Officials (NGAO) and County government administration.
Barasa Nyongesa, from Bungoma County, suggested that the village elders ought to undergo training on matters of government policy to ensure they understand the law as well as national and county governments' mode of operations.