Buffer zone set up at Trans Mara-Kuria border

By Leonard Korir

The Government has to set up a buffer zone along the troubled Trans Mara West and Kuria East districts’ border in an effort to stamp out inter-ethnic fighting in the area.

The decision to set up the buffer was reached during a security meeting held at Gwitembe in Kuria East District and attended by a powerful delegation from the two districts and also from the neighbouring Tanzania.

Led by Trans Mara West DC, Mbogo Mathioya and his Kuria East counterpart, Magu Mutindika, the delegation resolved to deploy a joint security force consisting of Anti-Stock Theft Police Unit, General Service Unit, regular police and administration police officers to arrest any criminal activity in the area.

Fighting between the two neighbouring communities over land has claimed five lives in the last one month.

stern warning

The residents were given two months to vacate the disputed land after harvesting their crops until a case pending in court was fully heard and determined.

The two administrators ordered for a ban on further tilling of the disputed land declaring it a no-go zone until the case is determined.

Mr Mutindika issued a stern warning to local chiefs and their assistants for taking sides and failing to report some of the known criminals behind the border skirmishes. At one point, the meeting turned stormy as the two rival communities accused each other of instigating the fighting.