The Provincial Administrators led by the Trans Nzoia County Commissioner Betty Chepkonga (C), Peter kilonzo (L) and IsaacKiragu (R) in a group photo after thepromotion ceremony of ten adminstration officer. [PHOTOS | Leonard Wamalwa | West Fm]

As controversy continues to mar the appointments of the 47 County Commissioners across the country, Trans Nzoia County Commissioner Betty Chepkonga has called upon the area residents to embrace peace and co-existence as the country gears for the next general elections.

The administrator said that the people in the county should be in the forefront to uphold peace bearing in mind that there are over 42 tribes residing in the area.

She said that the government was doing all that it could to ensure there is maximum security in the county by increasing the number of security agents and sensitizing the residents on matters pertaining peace and security.

Chepkonga who was speaking during a promotion ceremony of Administration Police Officers at the Trans Nzoia West District headquarters said that the government had identified stakeholders from all locations in the county to be trained on cohesion, integration and peace in the area.

“I praise God because soon we shall receive more police officers because we need to beef up security especially this time where the country is an electioneering period,” said the administrator.

She added that peace committees are going on with their mandate and the national cohession commission is going on to train residents through various committees whereby people from all over the locations have been picked upon to be trained to bring peace in the area.

However, she appreciated that security and peace had been upheld in the area despite the shortage of security officers and thus urged the residents to keep aside their tribal affiliations and co-exist as brothers and sisters so that the country does not go back to the 2007 post-elections scenario.

A section of the  Adminstration police who were promoted to different capacities.

Chepkonga who was the Chief Guest at the same time urged the promoted officers to remai n in the picture of the ongoing police reforms so that they do not use their newly acquired posts to harrass and humiliate members of the public and their juniors.

“In your new capacity as a Corporal, Sergeant or Senior Sergeant you have been given a swagger cane that is not used for beating people or your juniors because it cannot hurt anybody but it is because you are now leaders and you should use it to direct and show the way or direction. We do not want to see a situation where you now start threatening your juniors that you are now a boss and they will see, i want to tell you that such a move is not acceptable in this 21st century,” the commissioner told the 18 promoted officers.

Among the eighteen officers promoted 10 of them who moved from Police Constables to Corporals, 5 Corporals to Sergeants and 3 Sergeants to senior Sergeants.

The ten new corporals included Wildlife and Forestry Minister Dr. Noah Wekesa’s body guard Moses Simiyu who was a beneficiary of the promotions.

Others who crowned the ceremony were North Rift Administration Police Boss Senior Superintendent of Police Peter Kilonzo and Trans Nzoia West District Administration Police Commandant Isaac Kiragu.

A similar exercise was also conducted in neighboring Kwanza and Trans Nzoia West Districts whereby five officers from each of the two districts were promoted to a next level of their service.