Police suspect Tana sites contain 'bodies or firearms'

Police have discovered two sites in the troubled Tana Delta region suspected to be holding human bodies or firearms.

Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said General Service Unit (GSU) officers combing the area in search of armed militia suspect that bodies of victims of the clashes in the area or firearms could be buried at the sites located at Ozi.

"We have called in pathologists so that we can be sure. We would also not want to rush and start digging at the sites in the absence of the experts because it’s very crucial for evidence gathering and preservation,” he said Tuesday.

This follows Sunday’s GSU’s raid in the area during which an MRC flag, red bandanas similar to the ones used by the community warriors and items stolen from police officers in an earlier incident were recovered.

The government has put the death toll arising from the violence at about 112 but the discovery of the sites fuels fears that many more people could have died as a result of the skirmishes that have rocked the Tana Delta since the start of the month.

Quell clashes

The government last week deployed about 1,800 GSU to the area to quell the clashes.

However, fresh violence rocked the area on Sunday night and early Monday during which at least 35 houses were torched by the raiders in Garsen constituency despite a dusk to dawn curfew imposed on the Tana Delta by President Kibaki last week.

The Kenya Red Cross said there were no casualties as the villagers had already fled the area.

“There were no people when the attacks happened, we suspect that they are either in the camps or are hiding in the forest for fear of more attacks,” said KRC Communication Officer Nelly Mulluka.

The violence, which has pitted the nomadic Orma community against the Pokomo neighbours, has been blamed on local leaders.

Livestock assistant minister and Galole MP Dhadho Godana has been arraigned in court in connection with the violence and suspended from government pending the outcome of the case.

Mr Godhana’s arrest came only hours after President Kibaki had warned that the government will deal firmly with any leader found to have incited the people to violence in the area during a meeting with MPs from the Coast province led by Mvita legislator Najib Balala.