Reports Leo Odera Omolo
SECURITY along the Nandi-Luo border should be improved in order to save the lives of people now being killed every night. The situation now calls for urgent action by the higher authorities on both sides of the border to restore peace and calm.
Borders within Muhoroni sub-county is getting worse day by day. The residents have now appealed to the government to beef up police security night patrol. At the same time, politicians, especially MPS who are representing area close to the border area have been asked to hold public meeting and educate their constituents on the importance of living in peace and harmony, and to find the way o f resolving the land disputes amicably.
The people, who are believed to be member of terror gang from Nairobi, last Saturday night raided the small Police post at Ruga near Chemelil and attacked the policemen with arrows, machete and other crude weapons. The gang injured one policeman forcing his colleague to retaliate resulting in the three member of the gang being shot dead. The rest fled and disappeared under the dark cover.
The raid on the police post was staged at about 1.30 AM.
This attack came only a few hours after the revelers in a pub, which is located at Kibigori were forced to take cover following arrow attack by unknown people. Kibigori is an old, but a small town situated along the Kisumu-Nakuru railway line, but on the Kisumu Countryside.
The revelers were mainly a group of school teachers who were returning home after attending the colorful burial of their slain colleague Mr. Abira, the retired former head teacher of Nyakoko School and a Kisumu based businessman. He was shot with an arrow and killed by the Nandi youths two weeks ago. The incident took place when the retired teacher had gone to Chepsweta area to inspect his sugar cane. The deceased was given a warm send off in at the burial which attracted hundreds of friends, well-wishers and relatives at his Kajulu home. His killers have yet to be arrested.
As the teachers were enjoying their refreshment in a small bar, unknown people fired poisoned arrow into the pub. As they run helter-skelter, the bar owner went out to check in the darkness as to what was happening outside. He was shot with the arrow and another man followed suit.
No arrest has been made so far no arrest has been made.
The Kisumu Regional Commissioner Ms Lorna Odero is the only senior government official who has visited the area and preached peace to the two communities. of the border.
On the Nyanza side of the border only Muhoroni MP James OyangoK”oyoo has toured the troubled areas. He told the two warring communities to live in peace. But his Nandi Hill counterpart has yet to be seen in the area. K”Oyoo told the two communities to love one another and live-in peace and harmony.
Sources in both Muhoroni and Chemilil have confided to this writer that the latest flare up which has brought about the insecurity situation along the border between the two communities is abut some old and outstanding land disputes. One community is claiming that farms, owned by large scale farmers and those under the Settlement Schemes, were originally their ancestral land.
Settlement schemes in areas like Muhoroni, Songhor, Koru, Fort-Tennan,Kimwani were opened shortly after independent in 1965.These were the areas previously known as the White Highland, which were large scale mixed farms and belonged to the departed white settlers.
Ends