Form 3 student killed, 20 homes torched in Transmara border clashes

More than 20 homes have been torched in renewed clashes between two clans fighting over Nkararo-Enoretet border in Transmara.

For the last 48 hours, police have battling to restore calm after the Isiria and Erwasingishu clans clashed. Sources told the Nation on Friday that one person was shot dead by police sent to restore order.
ARROW INJURIES
Several villagers have also suffered arrow injuries and are admitted to nearby hospitals.

A local resident said some 15 villagers were nursing arrow wounds, with locals accusing police of using excessive force and live bullets. The dead is a Form 3 student at Manyatta Secondary School in Migori County.

According to authorities, the fight broke out after members of one clan started accusing their neighbours of stealing their livestock.

Narok County Commissioner Samuel Kimiti confirmed the incident, saying the houses were torched in Oldanyati village in the wee hours of Thursday morning.

SECURITY BEEFED UP

Speaking to the Nation on phone, Mr Kimiti said security had been beefed up in the area. He could neither deny nor confirm the death of the student but admitted there was tension in the area.
“Fights in this area are always triggered by petty things, and bad blood between the clans,” said Mr Kimiti.

The administrator said the operation to restore order was being led by the area Deputy County Commissioner Hassan Noor and the sub-county security teams.

The boundary issue has been recurring and authorities have made efforts to resolve the matter in vain. Two Maasai clans that live along the Nkararo-Enooretet border have been fighting over a two-acre piece of land. The conflict started in 1976, and has caused deaths of several people and left many injured.

Last year, government and local leaders met at the Narok County Commissioner's office in a meeting planned by Narok Governor Samuel Tunai and agreed to create a new boundary.

TWO CLANS

The government had intervened and the two clans agreed that land adjudication officials and the county land registrar should identify the boundaries and erect beacons in the presence of eight local leaders.

"Even after we have developed a boundary, they are still fighting for no good reason, and we are now establishing community conflict resolution mechanisms to try and solve the problem," said Mr Noor who blamed some local leaders of inciting locals.

Last year, 54 people suspected to have instigated the inter-clan violence that left 15 injured were arrested but were later released.

Among the 54 arrested included chiefs and their assistants from the Siria and the Uasin-Gishu clans.