Eight arrested as Tana Delta fighting claims four lives

Kilifi County Commissioner Joseph Keter, flanked by among others the Tana River County Governor Hussein Dhado (right) and the Kilifi County Governor Amason Kingi (left) address the Internaly displaced persons camping at the Kurawa-Kanagoni Primary School in Kilifi County on Friday,07th August 2015 evening. An estimated 700 Kenyans including children are currently camping at the School after escaping from their Msurujani-Katsangoni ancestral villages at the Kilifi and Tana River County borders following clashes between Farmers and Pastoralists.PHOTO/MAARUFU MOHAMED/STANDARD

Eight people linked to the fighting between the Orma and Giriama communities that has claimed four lives, have been arrested.

The fighting, which began last Sunday between the Giriama and Orma communities, has led to the displacement of residents of the Hurara, Katsangani and Michiraka region who have fled to safer grounds.

Yesterday, Tana River police commandant Walter Aliwa disputed the number of those killed and said that since the fighting began, only two people had been shot dead while a third was injured and his motorcycle stolen.

“We have already arrested eight people and are carrying out investigations to establish the cause of the violence. We are yet to establish whether it was due to land wrangles or incitement from groups that caused fear among the people who have lived peacefully for years,” Aliwa said.

Tana River Governor Hussein Dado and his Kilifi counterpart Amason Kingi yesterday visited victims displaced by tribal violence that has hit villages along the two counties’ common border and called for peaceful co-existence between Orma and Giriama communities.

Yesterday, police said eight people linked to the renewed fighting between the two communities that has claimed four lives, have been arrested.

The two governors visited Marereni area, which though not affected by violence, has been hit by tension. They also toured Kanagoni Primary School in Kilifi where ethnic Giriama, who fled Hurara, Katsangani and Michiraka areas earlier in the week after a spate of murders and kidnappings, have been taking refuge.

The two jointly addressed meetings and called for tolerance and dialogue to solve disputes.

Displaced families have been arriving at the school in troves after fresh fighting erupted between the two communities. The violence is said to have been caused by conflict over pasture.

Those taking refuge at the school are mostly Giriama, but there are reports that Orma villagers displaced by the violence had fled deeper into Tana River to join their kin.

The fighting, which began last Sunday between ethnic Giriama crop farmers and pastoralist Orma led to at least four deaths and some kidnappings.

Locals say one herdsman has been missing since Sunday after he was allegedly kidnapped.

But police said Wednesday they were only aware of one death but admitted a search is still on to verify other deaths as several villagers were said to be hiding in nearby bushes.

Tension between the two communities who live in separate villages on an undefined boundary separating Tana RIver and Kilifi counties has been growing since last month when two people were killed in a clash over grazing land at Katsangani village, which is home to the Giriama.

Tana River police commandant Walter Aliwa insisted yesterday that only two people were shot dead while the third was injured and his motorcycle stolen since the outbreak of violence.

Aliwa, however, said peace had been restored in the area and most displaced victims were returning to their homes. “The tension has gone down after a heavy contingent of security personnel was deployed in the area,“ he told The Standard on Sunday in Garsen.

“We have already arrested eight people and are carrying out investigations to establish the cause of the violence. We are yet to establish whether it was due to land wrangles or incitement from groups that caused fear among the people who have lived peacefully for years,” he said. The Kenya Red Cross Society yesterday distributed food, blankets, mosquito nets and kitchen utensils to the close to 80 families camping at the school as police announced a major operation and deployment of paramilitary forces in the areas affected by violence.

The villages most affected by the violence are Mto Kilifi, Ufuoni, Kasangani, Mto Tana, Surijani, Mticharaka, Komeni, Bokani, Milimani, Midodoni and Masolo respectively.