On Friday, Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki had declared 12 areas in Tana River County “ dangerous and troubled“, including the town of Bura where the fighting was the most intense.
Kenyan police chief Douglas Kanja has asked residents to surrender their firearms to avoid a further escalation of violence.
The problems began when the county government offered land to accommodate people displaced by flooding on the Tana, Kenya’s longest river.
Local breeders protested, stressing that their pastures would be occupied by the displaced.
« We have lost 18 people since last month and security has been increased to prevent further deaths“, said a senior police officer in Tana River County, speaking on condition of anonymity. “But the situation is currently very tense because people do not want to surrender their firearms.”
On Saturday, the director of criminal investigations Mohamed Amin announced the arrest of two local leaders, county governor Dhadho Godhana and parliamentarian Said Hiribae, for not responding to police summons regarding the violence.
Several homes were destroyed and an unknown number of people fled the area.
« We no longer feel safe here, some attacks even take place during the day. The government should find a permanent solution to this crisis“, lamented a resident of Bura, Mohamed Ibrahim.
« It’s all because of the earth. The herders do not want these people who have been displaced here, and this is what sparked the clashes“, added another resident.
AFP
