Calm returns to Transmara after a week of skirmishes

An police officer mounts a machine gun in Arabal location, Baringo County, during a past deployment to wrestle the area from bandits. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

An uneasy calm has returned to the volatile Nkararo-Enooretet border in Transmara West Sub-county following renewed skirmishes that rocked the area last week.

Transmara West Sub-county Police Commander Jamleck Ngaruya said calm has been restored in the area following the deployment of officers from the General Service Unit (GSU), Rapid Deployment Unit and Administration Police to restore order.

"We are happy that calm is returning and I urged everyone to go about his/her daily activities as we have enough security. I warn those cartels of criminals who want to incite the locals that their days are numbered," said Mr Ngaruya.

He said 26 people have been arrested and charged in court, and five others are being sought by the police to face charges of arson and malicious damage to property.

"As the security team, we are monitoring closely five politicians whom we suspect to have uttered some words that ignited the clashes," Ngaruya said.

He said the boundary dispute has become emotive and called on Siria and Iruasin Ngishu clans to embrace dialogue to avert loss of lives and property.

The clashes were reported in the region last week, which resulted to several houses and acres of sugarcane farms being set ablaze and displacement of at least 150 people.

The Trans Mara border dispute has been on since 1956, according to government records.

The Nkararo section on the Siria clan side was declared an adjudication section in 1985 with 1,200 parcels of land but the owners were never issued with title deeds and has become a source of conflict with the Enoosaen section (Iruasi Ngishu).

The area has faced perennial clashes over land boundaries for more than five decades.