The year 2019 was farewelled on a high note on Tuesday at Teremanda village in Wabag, Enga Province.
Hundreds of people gathered at Kii Paiyak’s ceremonial ground, Leptenges, to witness former Opposition Leader Don Pomb Polye and his Kii Paiyak subclan assist fellow Kii subclan, Kiso, with K56,000 cash and 22 pigs in a tei (exchange of pigs and money in Enga). This is to make peace with relatives of two lives lost in a land dispute-related tribal fight between Kii and Karl clans.
The deceased are from Anjin clan in Wabag and Lyarop Aupipi clan in Kandep’s Kambia village, which is located along the border of Enga and Southern Highlands Province.
The first tribal fight in 2017 was sparked off due to alleged electoral fraud which saw Polye lose his Kandep Open seat. The case is still before the Supreme Court.
Months later after the ceasefire, the second fight between the clans erupted due to land dispute.
Polye, a Kii fellow himself, commended Kiso for making peace with the clans which helped them during the fight.
The occasion turned into a political rally when people turned out in numbers to interact with Polye.
The former Kandep MP spent Tuesday night at Ribito Hotel in Wabag Town to welcome the New Year.
(Former Kandep MP, Don Polye, during the assistance occasion on Tuesday)