Marsabit: At least four people have been confirmed dead and another injured following a strain between two ethnic groups in North Horr Constituency, Marsabit County, over yet-to-be-established reasons. The dead are reportedly four men, two from each of the co-existing Gabra and Wayu pastoralist communities, all killed by use of guns which the criminal investigations department (DCI) has launched investigations about their origin.
According to Kenya News Agency, Marsabit County Commissioner James Kamau warned members of the public against taking the law into their own hands, explaining that the tension was triggered by the discovery of bodies of two young men from the Gabra community in the Qorta area who had been reported missing. Mr. Kamau, while addressing the press at the county headquarters after chairing a three-hour county security and intelligence committee meeting, stated that some members of the afflicted community went on a revenge mission by staging an attack in a Manyatta at night, killing two men from the Wayu community.
The County Commissioner added that one woman sustained gunshot wounds when the revenge-armed attackers raided the Manyatta Sunday night and was in stable condition. The CC disclosed that among those on the DCI radar was a senior national government official from North Horr and area MCA who are said to have incited and sponsored the mayhem.
'The detectives have clear instructions on what to do with the list of 26 suspects that we have received, which includes recording statements with the police in the shortest time possible over the matter,' said the CC, adding that DCI detectives have been dispatched to trace the suspects.
The CC, who was accompanied by the County Police Commander Lenard Kimaiyo and the area CEC member for devolution, administration, and cohesion Amina Challa, reported that a number of households in Dukana Sub-County have been left homeless after their houses were set on fire. The displaced have sought refuge at the Dukana police station and the nearby border patrol unit (BPU) camp.
Mr. Kamau assured the affected areas and the entire Marsabit County community that concerted efforts were being employed to restore normalcy and urged residents to love one another and coexist in harmony. He warned elected and aspiring political leaders of dire consequences against those engaging in hostile activities such as incitement to violence.
Ms. Challa appealed to Marsabit residents to uphold the restored peace with communities living harmoniously with neighbors, their multi-ethnic composition notwithstanding. She noted that much had been spent on peacebuilding efforts, which saw communities resolve to coexist peacefully on their own volition, and called on the government machinery to relentlessly pursue the perpetrators of the reported violence in North Horr.
Ms. Challa mentioned that the County Government planned to send some humanitarian aid to the affected and appealed to other well-wishers to assist the affected. Local leaders, including the head of Marsabit Women Advocacy for Development Organization (MWADO), Nuria Gollo, condemned the violence and urged local communities to embrace perseverance and forgiveness whenever a mishap occurred. She implored the government to act swiftly in arresting the culprits to deter those planning similar crimes, adding that women and children always bore the brunt whenever fights erupted.