Armed herders swarm border point

By LUCAS NG’ASIKE

Tension is high in Kibish District in Turkana North along the Kenya-Ethiopia border following the arrival of heavily armed herders from the neighbouring country.

The Nyangatom herders have crossed to the Kenyan side to graze animals thereby raising tension among the Turkana herders at the Kibish border town.

“We are afraid because the Ethiopian Nyangatom clan have started driving their animals to graze on Kenyan territory while armed to the teeth.We fear that they want to provoke war with Turkana herdsmen,” former area councillor Paul Lobwel said.

Two groups

Lobwel said the two groups have clashed before and several attempts by the Nyangatom clan to raid the area have resulted in gun fights between the two sides.

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He said security personnel are helpless because the foreign herders far outnumber  the skeleton security at the border.

Lobwel said a week ago, two locals among them a Kenya Police Reservist were critically injured at a watering point when the Ethiopians clashed with Turkana herdsmen at the border.

Turkana North DC Erick Wanyonyi said he has protested to Ethiopian authorities over the intrusion by the Nyangatom and Merille clans from the neighbouring country.