Former President Uhuru Kenyatta's "Nyumba Kumi" initiative was central to the latest Kenya Defence Forces' (KDF) success in its peace-keeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
According to a statement issued on Monday, December 26, KDF officers used the strategy while resettling persons affected by the conflict between the government and M23 rebellions.
The Nyumba Kumi helped to systematically identify IDPs through the creation of focal points hence clustering locals in a more efficient way.
This was aimed at wading off any possibility of rebels masquerading as IDPs, a move that would pose threat to KDF's mission.
KDF stated that the process was a success and helped to resettle scores of initially vulnerable people in the region.
“This year's Christmas Day was a blessing to hundreds of IDPs after a resettlement exercise was conducted in Kibumba on Sunday, December 25," the statement read in part.
"The local elders supported by EACRF troops coordinated a systematic return of the IDPs, mostly from the Kinyaruchinya IDP camp, on the outskirts of Goma town, and established focal points through the ‘Nyumba Kumi’ system for collective efforts towards peace and stability in Eastern DRC.”
The Nyumba Kumi was gazetted in 2013 as former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration aimed at quelling the then-escalating insecurity cases across the country.
The strategy was designed for citizens to know their neighbours as part of the extended responsibility of securing the country from criminal elements who hoped to camouflage themselves with the community.
It is anchored on the premise that citizens know their areas very well and are indeed able to spot and call out any suspicious or unusual activities in their surroundings.
The operation in Kibuba was part of KDF's progress in its mission of pacifying the region and protecting residents from security threats.
This move came days after the soldiers successfully gained control over the Kibuba area which was initially under the control of M23.
