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President Postpones His Visit to Clash-Hit Area
- Details
- Published on Sunday, 22 July 2007 23:12
The fighting between the Kisii and the Maasai was the subject of an early morning meeting yesterday between President Moi and Kisii leaders at State House, Nairobi.
The President reportedly expressed displeasure at the apparent inability of local leaders to reconcile the warring communities and restore peace.
Nearly 20 people have died in the clashes that began four months ago. Scores have been injured and houses gutted in the ethnic violence.
Yesterday, President Moi asked Kisii and Maasai leaders to return home and preach peace before he fixes another date for the visit.
The leaders are to carry out intensive grassroots preparations for a peaceful negotiation to end the clashes, a statement from the Presidential Press Service said.
On Friday, three people died and several others were injured when armed youths raided an administration police camp in the clash-hit area.
At the time, the government warned that stern measures would be taken against those perpetrating violence in the area.
President Moi's visit had been intended to impress upon the warring communities the need to co-exist peacefully. There was to have been a public display of unity and friendship between local leaders to demonstrate how the two communities could live in harmony.
Preparations on the ground indicated that the President was to make stops at various market centres along the border and address impromptu barazas in an effort to quell hostilities between the two communities.
The highlight of the tour was to be a public address at Nyangusu market.
The skirmishes have in the past few weeks evolved into bloody fights using mainly arrows, bows, pangas, rungus and iron bars. The insecurity has affected businesses and schools along the border.
Politicians from the two communities have been trading accusations, with each side blaming the other for inciting their communities to violence.
In another development, South Mugirango MP James Magara called the Nation newsdesk to say he was in hiding for fear of being arrested over remarks he made about the clashes.
He claimed anonymous callers had asked his friends about his whereabouts.
Said he: "Kisii people are being persecuted because of their political stand."
Yesterday, the MP repeated his call to the President to visit the area as "his ministers had failed to resolve the problem".
On Thursday, Mr Magara and seven Opposition MPs expressed fear that the fighting may be a precusor to tribal clashes similar to the ones that struck parts of the country prior to the 1992 and 1997 general elections.
The Opposition leaders asked the government to move in and end the violence. They accused the police of aggravating it.
During the Press conference, Mr Magara said: "The President did not solve the problem. Two weeks later, it was reported that police shot dead four people and wounded many others. The matter reeks of cold murder."
The leaders said that unless the President intervened in the clashes that have claimed over 30 people and seen hundreds of cattle stolen in the past three months, his government would be held responsible.
They accused the government of double standards in dealing with the problem.
Mr Magara said: "The clashes must be stopped; it is amazing that the government seems confused and disorganised about the plight of the Maasai and the Kisii in this part of the country."
The other MPs were Jimmy Angwenyi (Kitutu Chache), Shem Ochuodho (Rangwe), Waithaka Mwangi (Kinangop), Soita Shitanda (Malava) and Raphael Wanjala (Budalang'i).
Five weeks ago, the MPs said, Cabinet ministers Chris Obure and Julius Sunkuli took people from the Kisii ad Maasai communities to see the President on the problem.
Meanwhile, Cabinet Minister Marsden Madoka, who is in charge of internal security, said the government had beefed up security along the Gucha-Transmara border following the Saturday confrontation between armed youth and police that left three people dead.
