Kisii Governor Simba Arati and his Narok County counterpart Patrick Ole Ntutu Monday urged for an end to the weeklong border skirmishes between the Kisii and the Maasai communities in Kiango area.
The conflict, both leaders said, has fractured peace and separated a people that had been peacefully living together for decades.
At least four people – two from each side – have died since the skirmishes broke out a week ago. .
“We must bring these senseless skirmishes to an end today and allow our people to resume their normal activities,” stated Arati.
Arati said lives have been lost and economic activities between the two sides grounded causing senseless losses.
“This should not happen at a time when we should direct out efforts to nation building. We must ensure the vices that spark the animosity are also addressed. There is nothing good in violence,” he said.
Arati claimed the skirmishes along the border bear the hallmark of political sponsorship.
He consequently asked security agencies to bring any suspects involved to book.
“We should have them tried in a court of law, this madness must be stopped,” stated Arati.
Ntutu said they had jointly agreed to preach peace and end the animosity that spark the perpetual skirmishes.
“We have agreed that incidents of cattle theft be first reported to the respective chiefs so that there is coordinated search by security teams,” he said.
More security personnel, he said would be deployed to patrol the restive border as normalcy returns.
He told the residents to return to their farms and markets on each side from Tuesday.
“A people sharing a border and economic activities should not engage in unnecessary squabbles,” stated Ntutu.
The two governors also visited Kiango, Mesocho, Nyamaiya and Mapashi and met youth from both sides and asked them to lay down crude weapons.
Ntutu said issues related to land would be solved in due time.
At Mapashi, Arati said people sponsoring the ethnic violence are known and should be prosecuted.
“These people should be isolated from society and brought before courts of law ,” he said.
Mapashi area has been a scene of violent skirmishes which snowballed from Kiango area in Bomachoge Borabu to the Mesocho and Nyamaiya in South Mugirango.
Kisii County Commissioner Joseph Kibet said they arrested a cattle rustler in South Mugirango suspected of stalking tension along the border.
He said no effort would be spared in the lasting efforts aimed at ending the madness along the restive border.
In Nairobi, Interior Cabinet Kipchumba met a section of leaders from both counties in Nairobi on Monday.
Murkomen said he will visit the area on Friday for talks to address the menace.
He said the conflict has been quelled and calm has returned to the area.
In a bid to find sustainable solutions to the problem, Murkomen met a section of leaders from the two communities.
“We resolved to hold two meetings this Friday in the affected area to kickstart the peace-building process,” he said.
“I have also directed schools and health centers that had been closed because of the security situation to re-open immediately and security to be beefed up to ensure safety.”
The security personnel on the ground are under instruction to apprehend anyone found carrying weapons in the area and those fanning animosity between the two communities.
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