GLANCE FACTS
UNENDING CONFLICT
• Joint security forces raid homes in Garba and Galotha villages and arrest over 80 villagers from whom they recovered illegal guns
• According to Assistant Commissioner of Police Angelus Karuru, four people died in a clash between rival tribes
• Pokomo maintain their kin were ambushed and gunfire opened on them in cold blood
• Orma claim reservists were responding to a distress call by a woman under attack
By Paul Gitau
The bloodletting in violence ravaged Tana Delta district escalated with the killing of five people including two Kenya Police Reservists.
On Sunday, a Pokomo man was shot and killed in Hola town raising tension to new levels as Assistant Police Commissioner Angelus Karuru announced 15 armed men were arrested on Saturday night during an operation to mop up illegal guns.
Earlier on Sunday there were reports one man had been killed when a group of Pokomo men were ambushed and shot at Garba village as they were returning from Chamwanamuma where 13 of their kin were slaughtered on Friday.
But last evening, there were fresh details of rival tales of what transpired and a new death toll.
According to Assistant Commissioner of Police Angelus Karuru four people died in that clash between the rival tribes.
Conflicting tales
Accounts by Pokomo maintain their kin were ambushed and gunfire opened on them in cold blood but the Orma claim Kenya Police Reservists were responding to a distress call by a woman under attack when they ran into an ambush and an exchange of fire ensued leading to the killing of the two reservists.
Karuru confirmed two people were killed on both sides raising the death toll to four besides the one reported early on Sunday.
The police boss announced two reservists in the clash torn area were disarmed following the fight at Garba village.
And on Sunday the Kenya Red Cross reported that a man was shot in the neck and later died while three others were injured when armed men raided mourners.
“Tension is very high in the entire region,” said Hasssan Musa, the Kenya Red Cross Coordinator for Malindi and Magarini, who also added that “families are still fleeing from accumulated effects of attacks in the Tana Delta.”
