By John Oywa
The scenery is breathtaking. Sandwiched between the expansive Nyando valley and the Nandi escarpment, the settlement scheme spreads as far as the eye can see.
A resident of Songhor shows a security officer direction from where the enemy attacked them in the Nyando-Nandi border. [Photos: Titus Munala/Standard]
It rises from the foot of Kajulu Hills in the outskirts of Kisumu and spreads past the moribund Miwani Sugar factory towards Chemelil and Koru on the Nyanza-Rift Valley border.
But the Kibos, Miwani, Muhoroni, Nandi and Chemelil sugar belts also bear the scar as the melting points for deadly land-related disputes.
Investigations show that feuds over land have resulted in many cross border clashes.
There has also been disquiet among the two communities over the exact boundaries of Rift Valley and Nyanza around the Muhoroni area, with some saying the colonial demarcations were inaccurate.
Tribal emotions
Tension and intermittent clashes have adversely affected the growth of shopping centres such as Kibigori, Chepsueta and Chemase and slowed farming activities.
Politicians have been accused of using the land question to whip up political and tribal emotions every election year.
Sources told The Standard that last monthâs skirmishes between the Luos and Nandi, which left seven people dead, may have been fuelled by attempts by both sides to control a large parcel of land along the border.
The 1,100 hectares Potopoto farm in Kibigori area has been the subject of tension among the two communities, even though the Government claims to have acquired it from an original owner.
