Inter-tribal violence has erupted at Njoro, Nakuru County. Several shops and houses have been burnt down. The conflict is between the Ogiek and the Kipsigis tribes.
Nakuru County governor Lee Kinyajui has imposed a 6pm-6am mandatory curfew within the confines of Nakuru County borders. The curfew is expect to last for the entire week and during this time, nobody will be allowed to be in possession of any weapons including bows and arrows. The governor said this after visiting 13 victims who have been hospitalized at Nakuru Level 5 hospital after sustaining injuries in the skirmishes.
The conflict started on Tuesday due to accusations of livestock theft between the Ogiek tribes and the Kipsigis tribes. Both tribes deny each other’s accusations. During the Tuesday attack, one man was killed on the spot while another man with an arrow still lodged on his head died while being transported to hospital by police.
Governor Kinjanjui extended the curfew to cover not only Njoro area but other surrounding regions including Elburgon and Mau Submit regions.
Rift Valley Regional Coordinator, George Natembeya said a group of police officers has been deployed in the area to enforce the curfew. Anyone found in violation of the curfew directive will be arrested promptly and prosecuted in court.
There has been reports that the culprits responsible for the violence in Njoro are goons who do not live in the area, but have been hired by local politicians to cause mayhem and havoc in the area in order to frame it on their political opponents.
So far, 3 people have been killed while 13 people have been injured. Property damage is thought to be worth millions of shillings as a full row of shops were torched after being stripped of valuables through looting.
The inter-tribal violence in Njoro follows pockets of ethnic skirmishes in Oleposumoru and Marioshoni regions in neighboring Narok county about a week ago. Unlike the Njoro conflict whose trigger causes are unclear, the violence in Narok erupted after two boys were killed while grazing their cattle. In this conflict, 5 people were killed while 10 people were hospitalized at Olenguruone Sub-County Hospital.
