Three dead as fresh ethnic clashes rock Sondu

Tragic ethnic clashes erupt along the Kisumu-Kericho border, leaving three dead and scores injured. [Standard, file]

Three people have been confirmed dead while scores are nursing injuries following fresh ethnic clashes along the Kisumu-Kericho border.

The attackers invaded the East Kadiang'a Location in Upper Nyakach Division yesterday night and unleashed terror on residents before fleeing the scene.

Confirming the incident, Upper Nyakach Assistant County Commissioner Darwin Orina stated that several people are also nursing arrow and matchette wounds.

This is happening as security officials moved to quell tensions that were building up in Sondu following the attack.

"About three people have died as at now. Some victims with arrow wounds have been rushed to Nyabondo Mission Hospital for treatment," Orina said.

The attack comes barely a few days before the president is expected to land in the region for a development tour.

According to witnesses, tension started building on Tuesday afternoon following allegations a group from one of the communities had convened to plan the attack.

They accused police officers of failing to take action to foil the attack despite several reports.

A resident of Sondu who is still nursing arrow wounds from a previous attack told The Standard that they alerted police officers about the impending attack but there was no response.

Zablon Owiti an Assistant Chief of the affected East Kadiang'a Sub-location claimed the deadly attacks could have been averted if an intelligence report they shared with the police early yesterday were acted on.

The administrator suspects the attack could have been a retaliatory attack after a member of one of the communities was killed over suspicions of engaging in cattle rustling.

"We got this intelligence report and gave it to the police but we don't know what happened because by around midnight, the attackers came in a large number," he said.