One injured, houses burnt as chaos erupts over land row

By PATRICK BEJA

Kilifi, Kenya: Several families have fled their homes after their houses were torched in an early morning revenge attack in Kilifi County as violence erupted in the area over a 10-year land dispute yesterday.

Police and residents account indicate two families have been locked in a land dispute for 10 years and yesterday’s violence broke out after unidentified people attacked a man they allegedly found harvesting coconut on the contested farm in Mtwapa township.

Raging fire

Tension gripped Mtwapa after the attack of the man identified as Kombo Mohamed as villagers descended on Mikanjuni village where the attackers allegedly came from and set their houses on fire.

Mikanjuni village is located a kilometre north of Mtwapa township.

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Armed police officers had to intervene after the villagers pelted a fire engine  with stones as it arrived to fight the raging fire.

Mtwapa OCS  Beethaven Gachago confirmed three suspects, all members of the same family, were in custody after they surrendered.

“We have three family members in custody. We have launched investigation into the matter,” Gachago said at the scene.

An eyewitness, Ms Caro Muendo,  said two men wielding pangas arrived on a motorcycle and started slashing  the victim as he screamed for help.

Residents later rushed him to a Mombasa hospital.

Another resident, Jimmy Tanagai, said the victims had harvested coconut on the disputed land where the alleged assailants live when a quarrel  ensued.

Matter in court

“He was seriously injured in the head and both of his hands were almost chopped off,” said Tangai.

Mikanguni village elder Ms Rehema Rashid said she had handled the land case before it went to court.

She explained that the victim’s grandfather claimed to have invited the family of Haron Kachocho and offered them  land in the village, but later a dispute erupted after he died.

“The two families have continued quarrelling even with the matter being still in court,” Rashid explained.

Kilifi County Women Representative Aisha Jumwa who was at the scene condemned the attack.