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12 Hurt In New Border Clashes
- Details
- Published on Saturday, 07 July 2007 07:31
The 12, among them three pupils, were injured in the Shankoe and Nyabitunwa areas. The skirmishes began on Wednesday evening shortly after the Trans Mara DC, Mr Wilson Litole, and his Gucha counterpart, Mr Peter Alubale, wound up a closed-door security meeting at the border town of Nyangusu.
Those injured were admitted to St. Joseph's Mission Hospital in Kilgoris town. The hospital's surgical ward is congested with victims of the clashes. The medical officer, Dr Machage Magita, said four of the victims admitted yesterday were "serious but stable".
Trouble started when a group of about 500 youths from Gucha reportedly crossed the border into Trans Mara and attempted to set houses on fire but were repulsed. Mr Litole said the skirmishes at Romosha, Giteri and Poroko areas on the eastern side of the border had been contained by improved security.
The DC said security reinforcements were being deployed to the area. Businesses in Kilgoris town opened yesterday amidst a heavy police presence. Meanwhile, Nyanza PC Wilson Chepkwony and his Rift Valley counterpart Yusuf Haji will today address a joint public security meeting at Nyangusu market.
Nyanza PC Wilson Chepkwony yesterday said the Government is investigating a political motive in the fighting between the Luo and Kisii on the Gucha-Migori border.
The PC said elders of the two communities had identified arsonists and boundary differences as the cause of the clashes. The administrator assured residents living along the borders that the Government had taken adequate security measures to curb the skirmishes.
The PC said that following his tour of the affected areas on Wednesday, he had ordered the respective DCs to liaise with elders to iron out the root cause of the skirmishes.Addressing the Press in his office, Mr Chepkwony said: "We have adequate security on the ground and I have told the DCs, DOs and chiefs to start holding meetings with elders to find the root cause of the skirmishes." Asked whether the problem had political overtones, the PC said this was yet to be established. He adding that most residents linked it to arsonists, while others blamed it on boundary wrangles.
At the same time, the PC denied reports in yesterday's Nation that houses were torched near Maroo trading centre immediately after his visit. He also denied that a woman had identified two headless bodies at Awendo trading centre following his visit.
