Seven killed in Trans Mara District ethnic flare-up

Trans Mara West Deputy County Commissioner Abdihakim Jubat (second right) with security officers at the attack scene, Tuesday. [PHOTO: LEONARD KORIR/STANDARD]

By Leonard Korir

KENYA: Seven people have been killed in clashes between two communities in.

The clashes also saw eight houses torched and property of unknown value destroyed.

Tension has gripped Enkiwanja and Enkoperiai villages in Moyoi location following the killings in what appeared to be a well-planned revenge attack against a particular community in the area.

Several homes

Witnesses said a gang of armed men unleashed terror in several homes and brutally murdered the men, all from one community.

Business at the local trading centres of Loliondo, Olkiloriti and Lolgorian remained shut down for the better part of the day as several people left the area with others ferrying their belongings.

Trans Mara West Deputy County Commissioner Abdihakim Jubat and his Kuria East counterpart Cornelius Wamalwa led a contingent of security personnel to retrieve bodies from targeted homesteads.

Jubat said the government had deployed sufficient security officers to ensure those behind the killings were arrested and charged.

Later, a high-powered government security delegation led by Director of Police Operations Philip Ndolo later flew to the area to assess the situation.

Ndolo condoled with the bereaved families and assured them that the government would ensure that those behind the killings are brought to book.

“We as the government are deeply shocked by the turn of events which occurred last night whose results are ugly and inhumane. The government will ensure that more security personnel are deployed to provide proper security to all the residents,” said Ndolo.

The victims’ families were overcome with emotions as the bodies were loaded onto a police vehicle yesterday.

The killings were reportedly sparked by Sunday’s incident where a herdsboy, 13, was found dead at Olkiloriti village.

Dephina Moraa, the widow of Douglas Nyabuto, recalled how her husband painfully died at the hands of the assailants.

Heavily armed

Moraa said her husband, a teacher at Masurura Primary School, was preparing to take a meal with their three children when the gang armed with machetes, swords and spears struck.

“They broke into the house and said our community was supposed to leave the area immediately and even my husband was occupying the land we are living in illegally,” said Moraa.

The situation prompted members of one of the communities to vacate their homes and seek safety at Lolgorian Police Station.

According to John Ocharo, a trader at Lolgorian, many have fled their homes, fearing of more attacks.

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