Lamu County Unveils Historic Global Peace Prize

By The COAST Reporter

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com

Lamu County has officially presented the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) Peace Prize 2026 to the people of Lamu during a homecoming reception and press briefing presided over by Governor Issa Timamy at the Governor’s Hall in Mokowe.

The award, presented during the UCLG World Congress in Tangier, Morocco, makes Lamu County the first county in Kenya and the first local government in Africa to receive one of the world’s highest recognitions for locally led peacebuilding and inclusive governance.

Speaking during the ceremony, Governor Timamy described the award as a victory for every resident of Lamu and a recognition of years of partnership, innovation, and community ownership.

“This award belongs to the people of Lamu. It belongs to our women, youth, elders, religious leaders, fishermen, pastoralists, refugee and host communities, peace committees, public servants, security agencies, development partners, and every individual who has contributed to building a peaceful and resilient county,” he said.

The governor noted that the international jury recognised the Lamu Peace Model for institutionalising peacebuilding through county legislation, policy, planning, budgeting, and coordinated governance structures.

The model integrates peacebuilding with disaster risk management, climate resilience, prevention of violent extremism, refugee inclusion, maritime safety, social cohesion, and citizen participation into a single governance framework.

He emphasized that the award is not a declaration that Lamu is free from challenges, but rather an international recognition of the county’s innovative governance approach in addressing complex security, humanitarian, and climate risks through prevention, partnership, and inclusive development.

The chief executive officer thanked the County Assembly, county staff, national government agencies, security institutions, development partners, civil society organizations, community leaders, and the people of Lamu for their unwavering commitment to peace.

He particularly acknowledged the support of the Council of Governors through the ASAL and Disaster Risk Management Committee and the Maarifa Centre, Kenya Red Cross Society, World Vision Kenya, Kenya Coast Guard Service, Kenya Maritime Authority, National Drought Management Authority (NDMA), Kenya Defence Forces, Operation Amani Boni, the United States Military at Manda Bay, Kenya Wildlife Service, Northern Rangelands Trust, the National Government Administration, the County Commissioner’s Office, the National Police Service, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the National Counter Terrorism Centre, the County Engagement Forum, and numerous local and international partners.

The governor also recognised the continued support of UCLG, the UCLG Peace Prize Secretariat, VNG International, Open Society Foundations, GIZ Connective Cities, UNDP, IOM, IGAD, the United Nations family, the International Peace Support Training Centre (IPSTC), and other development partners who have contributed to strengthening peace and resilience in Lamu.

The ceremony also featured a technical presentation by Mr Shee Kupi Shee, Director of Peacebuilding and principal architect of the Lamu Peace Model, who took participants through Lamu County’s journey from submitting its application, emerging among the five global finalists, and ultimately winning the prestigious international award.

The presentation highlighted the unique characteristics that distinguished the Lamu Peace Model, including the institutionalisation of peacebuilding through legislation and policy, strong multi-agency coordination, community ownership, and the integration of peacebuilding with disaster risk management, climate resilience, refugee inclusion, and sustainable development.

Participants were also briefed on the innovative peacebuilding approaches presented by the other finalists from Brazil, Ecuador, Indonesia, and South Sudan, demonstrating the highly competitive nature of the award and the factors that enabled Lamu to emerge as the global winner.

Shee challenged county departments and public institutions to embrace innovation, document best practices, and develop globally competitive solutions capable of positioning Lamu County as a centre of excellence in public service delivery.

Speaking during the ceremony, the County Commissioner for Lamu congratulated the County Government and residents for the historic recognition, describing the award as a milestone for both Lamu County and Kenya.

He reaffirmed the National Government’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the County Government, security agencies, development partners, and communities to ensure Lamu remains peaceful, secure, resilient, and free from emerging threats.

Representing World Vision Kenya, Mr Charles Muthoka congratulated the Governor and the people of Lamu, reaffirming World Vision’s commitment to strengthening child protection, peacebuilding, education, and resilience programmes.

He said the award would inspire the organisation to further align its interventions with the County Government’s vision to ensure children in Lamu grow up in safe, peaceful, and resilient communities where they can realise their full potential and become future leaders.

In his closing remarks, Governor Timamy called upon the people of Lamu to view the award not as the end of the journey but as the beginning of an even greater responsibility.

“Today, the world has honoured Lamu. Tomorrow, let us honour this award by renewing our commitment to build a county where peace, resilience, dignity, and opportunity are enjoyed by every child, every family, and every generation.”

The UCLG Peace Prize is among the world’s highest recognitions for local governments promoting peace, social cohesion, and inclusive governance. Lamu County’s victory places Kenya and Africa at the forefront of innovative local governance and demonstrates that locally developed solutions can influence peacebuilding efforts around the world.