Tension high as five injured in clan fight over border land

Kenya: Five people were last night admitted at a Chuka hospital following clashes between two sub-tribes of the Ameru in Tharaka Nithi County.

Two of those injured were in critical condition as police rushed to Kanthanje area to quell the tension that has been building up following a land adjudication process that was started early yesterday.

A medic at the Chuka District Hospital said those admitted at the facility suffered deep panga cuts.

Although the locals said one person had died as a result of the clashes, police maintained there were just injuries.

A local administrator said the fight was between the Tharaka and Mwimbi sub-tribes, who are both claiming land in a disputed area along the Igambang'ombe and Tharaka border.

The attacks are said to have taken place near Kiera Hill forest, 15 kilometres from Kathwana, the headquarters of Tharaka Nithi.

The adjudication is set to pave way for the issuance of title deeds in the region.

Mutino Location Chief Gerald Maingi said trouble started after the adjudication process started yesterday morning.

"The Government had started the adjudication process in the area but both sub-tribes stopped the process with counter claims," said the chief.

According to one of the residents who only identified himself as Gituma, both sides are claiming to own the land along the border, with some in Igambang'ombe accusing their counterparts of encroaching on their land.

ADEQUATE SECURITY

"I think this dispute will be solved if the Government involves elders from both sides. Tension has been building up and we expected the Government to provide adequate security," Gituma said.

He claimed two people had their eyes gorged out after they encountered some assailants in a nearby forest.

Acting Tharaka Nithi Police Commander Beatrice Kiraguri said police had not managed to arrest any suspects by yesterday evening.

"More police officers have been deployed to the area to calm the situation," Kiraguri told The Standard.

There has been a longstanding boundary dispute between Meru and Tharaka-Nithi counties. The decades-old dispute has precipitated deaths and destruction of property in the past.