One killed, several injured in conflict over grazing land

Peter Onyango leads his village mates in erecting a fence at the home of his brother Paul Okoth at their home at Kochogo Village in Nyando Constituency. It is alleged Okoth was killed by people from a neighbouring village over a dispute on their community's grassing land. 02/07/15. PHOTO: TITUS MUNALA/STANDARD

One person has been killed while over 20 others are admitted to various hospitals with panga cuts following week-long clashes along the border of Nyando and Nyakach sub-counties.

The latest attack took place on Tuesday where women from Nyando were allegedly raped by attackers while attending to their farms along the border.

The violence, believed to have been ignited by a fight over pasture land, saw several acres of crops destroyed and livestock injured.

According to Peter Onyango, a resident of Kochogo South village in Nyando, a group of over 20 youths believed to be from the neighbouring Nyakach raided Kakola, Kochogo, Wawidhi and Kimira villages and terrorised the residents.

Onyango, whose brother Paul Okoth was killed in the mayhem, said the youths ambushed some herdsmen at the wetland and started driving away their livestock across River Nyando.

His brother, who had responded to the distress call by the herdsmen was attacked and killed by the raiders, who later abandoned the livestock and fled into a village in Nyakach.

"The attackers seemed to have planned their mission in advance because they surrounded the herders, who escaped leaving the livestock. They tried in vain to drive the livestock past River Nyando, which is the border of the two sub-counties," said Onyango.

He said most herdsmen from Nyando have now kept off the field for fear of further attacks.

"People in this area have been living in fear. The police also responded late due to the bad roads. We have now been forced to spend the nights outdoors in case they return," he added.

Mama Sarah Adhiambo said she had gone to weed her farm near the wetland when a group of youths came wielding machetes and demanded that she leaves the place.

"I pleaded with them to spare my life since I was born in Nyakach so I am their sister. They told me never to go back to the field again. I left all my tools in the farm," she narrated.

County Commandant Nelson Njiiri said one person has been arrested in relation to the incident and was helping the police with investigations.

Security committees from the two sub-counties were also scheduled to meet later yesterday to find a solution to the conflict.

"We are pursuing more culprits and trying to find out the source of the violence," said Mr Njiiri.