3 dead as fresh clashes erupt in Mau Forest, Nakuru County
Settlements in a section of Eastern Mau. Three people are feared dead in tribal clashes at Nessuit area. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
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Armed with bows and arrows, witnesses said the two rival groups attacked each other under the cover of darkness.
According to a resident who sought anonymity fearing for his life, the clashes were concentrated at Sigotik and Tuitagoi areas.
Several people spent the night in the cold as they feared being attacked by youths who moved from house to house, hunting for their rivals.
At least three people are feared dead after tribal clashes erupted in Eastern Mau, Nakuru County, on Wednesday night.
The two communities, which have long lived in harmony, clashed in Nessuit area over occupation of land on the edges of Mau Forest in the wake of government evictions.
40,000
The government is targeting to evict more than 40,000 settlers living in the forest in a bid to restore the water tower.
Members of one community, which traditional resides inside the forest, were unhappy that their neighbours had comfortably occupied the disputed parcel as the government flushed them out of the water tower.
Armed with bows and arrows, witnesses said the two rival groups attacked each other under the cover of darkness.
According to a resident who sought anonymity fearing for his life, the clashes were concentrated at Sigotik and Tuitagoi areas.
Several people spent the night in the cold as they feared being attacked by youths who moved from house to house, hunting for their rivals.
Five people were taken to Nakuru Level Five Hospital with arrows lodged in their bodies.
On Thursday, sources told the Nation that the Wednesday clashes started at 6pm.
“One house belonging to an elderly man was demolished by angry youths from a rival community,” said the resident.
During the clashes, he said, the attackers plundered and stole green maize in farms.
Tension has been rising in the region after armed men shot a 17-year-old boy with an arrow in a grazing field at Mauche area in Njoro on Monday.
TENSION
The boy is admitted to Nakuru Level Five Hospital and is currently out of danger.
There were conflicting reports on deaths and injuries, with multiple sources on the ground indicating that three had been killed dead.
However, Nakuru County Police Commander Hassan Barua could not immediately confirm.
“I am currently in Nairobi and the officers who can confirm the situation on the ground are the Molo and Njoro OCPD,” said Mr Barua.
When reached for a comment, Molo police Bernard Muinde did not respond to Nation calls.
However, the tension is still high as both communities remain alert and armed to the teeth.
On Wednesday, police carried out an overnight operation to quell the clashes.
The clashes in Nakuru come in the wake of a similar conflict in Maasai Mau, Narok County, where three people were killed in a conflict over occupation of land in the Mau.
