200 police officers sent to troubled Narok-Kisii border

Over 200 police officers have been deployed to the clashes-prone Olmelil and Ikorongo locations along the Narok-Kisii border following days of unrests.

At the same time, security committees from Trans Mara West in Narok and Masaba South in Kisii held a series of meetings on Monday in a bid to quell the fights that have led to one death and left dozens injured.

Following the deployment on Sunday night, relative calm was restored in the area as the officers patrolled the border.

Residents reported seeing the officers moving along the border.

The officers were dispatched after four cows were stolen from the Kipsigis as Deputy President William Ruto addressed the border issue at Nyabururu Catholic Church near Kisii Town, kilometres away from the conflict area.

The officers drawn from GSU, AP, and regular police were deployed after a directive from the deputy president to security officers to curb cattle rustling and ensure a quick resolution to the border issue.

PARALLEL MEETINGS

Trans Mara West Deputy County Commissioner Mericho Maina and his Masaba South counterpart Gitonga Muyandi held parallel meetings with residents from each side calling on them to cease animosity between them.

Each of the security officials talked to members of the community from their region urging them to embrace peace.

“Although tension is still high here, we are optimistic that members of the two communities will heed calls to cease fighting,” said Mr Maina.

The security bosses later held a joint meeting to consolidate resolutions from their groups.

“We later resolved on a number of issues, key among them securing schools in the conflict area,” said Mr Maina.

He said that they had put stringent plans to ensure that those sitting national examinations are not disrupted.

Mr Muyandi said that all public institutions in the region would be highly secured.

“We want to tell our children not to worry because they will sit their national examinations in a peaceful environment like other candidates in the country.

ONE KILLED

One person has lost his life in the five-day skirmishes.

He was shot dead on Saturday night by police officers who were dispersing a rowdy group of warriors which had threatened to attack the officers with arrows.

His colleague is recuperating at the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital (KTRH) in Kisii Town.

Two GSU officers are also nursing bullet wounds in an unidentified hospital.

The two sustained the injuries after one of their colleagues accidentally shot them on Friday.

Police, however, say they are in stable condition.

Six other people sustained arrow injuries during the fight and are recuperating at KTRH.

Several houses have been torched and property worth thousands of shillings destroyed.