Five people were on Monday injured after two rival groups clashed on a piece of land owned by veteran athlete Kipchoge Keino in Eldoret.
The groups engaged in running battles for the better part of the evening forcing police to lob teargas canisters to disperse them.
The injured were taken to various hospitals, police said.
The groups were among others demolishing structures sitting on part of a disputed 150-acre piece of land.
The land is at the centre of a dispute between Kipkorom Kemboi family and Kipchoge Keino.
The Kemboi family says they had won a long legal tussle with Keino hence their move to take over the disputed land.
“We ask all concerned parties to come and help us. Police are beating people with no regard to the law,” Kemboi’s grand daughter Lilian Kemboi pleaded.
“The tussle comes fresh on the heels of an order issued by an Eldoret court on Monday, staying a preceding ruling issued in July that granted the Kemboi family ownership of the disputed piece.
Keino had however through his lawyers secured temporary orders on Tuesday last week, barring the subdivision of the 150 acre piece under dispute.
The family of Kemboi had in July been awarded 150 out of the 195 acres claimed by Keino.
Aggrieved by the events, Kemboi’s family also acquired orders from an Eldoret court, staying the ruling made in July that directed the land be demarcated and 40 acres be left for Keino.
Keino had filed an appeal before the land and environment court.
The retired athlete claims ownership of the vast 195-acre farm at Kazi Mingi area which hosts his residence and the Olympic-certified Kipchoge Keino high-performance training centre.
Tension remains high in the area amid fears of more chaos on Tuesday.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
