Trans Mara violence death toll rises as business slumps

Land tussles, the proliferation of small arms and overwhelmed security officers have combined to fuel frequent clashes in Trans Mara, Narok County.

The death toll from the latest skirmishes, as at Monday, rose to eight after one more body of an unidentified man was retrieved from a thicket.

Esoit Location Chief Samuel Naiduya said the body was found on Sunday night at Eng’aboli.

LAND DISPUTES
County Commissioner Mofatt Kangi, who held peace talks between the warring Maasai and Kipsigis, said land is at the center of the fighting.

He said that cattle raids, which were blamed for previous unrest, are a smokescreen.

“The activities of rustlers who once roamed the area have been contained but residents feel that their ancestral land is threatened,” Mr Kangi said.

ECONOMY

He added that violence has had far-reaching effects in the area, taking its toll on education and crippling the economy.

“It is a sin before God to shed innocent blood, and the government will also have none of it since we have already seen its calamitous effects,” Mr Kangi said, adding that locals should anticipate a major mop-up of illegal arms.

Mr Kangi said a forcible disarmament was organised and scheduled for April, but it was postponed due to “administrative challenges”.

FIREARMS

He said that the targeted area was found to be too big, which meant almost a constituency-wide exercise.

“It was not put off because of mercy or inability but we found the scope of an effective operation should be wide, beginning from Esoit to Lolgorian,” he said, adding that the exercise is needed to pacify the clash-prone area.

Maasai Council of Elders Treasurer David Mampuli said that security officers in the area are few and therefore unable to tame the rising cases of communal violence.

POLICE
He said that the few officers permanently stationed in the area are under-equipped.

“A police post based at Esoit trading centre has only three officers for such an expansive area,” said Mr Mampuli, who called for an end to the killings.

He said that business people are now living in mortal fear of their neighbours and business has taken a hit.

Kimintet Peace Committee chairman Charles Sharkeki called for more police officers to be deployed.

He said that some of those killed in the fighting were young and energetic men who were their families’ sole breadwinners.

Mr Daniel Kipempeu, an elder, said that land issues are at the core of the violence experienced not only at Esoit but in different parts of the sub-county.