Thirty-one people have been killed this week in skirmishes over land at Tana River District, police confirmed yesterday.

Twenty-one were killed at Wanje and Ghafuro villages on Thursday while 10 died on Monday, said acting police chief Abdul Mzee.

Eighteen of these were Wardei pastoralists and three were Pokomo farmers, he said.

Mr Mzee confirmed that 100 manyattas had been destroyed in the skirmishes.

The flare-up has intensified in spite of the presence of a top-level security contingent visiting the area, led by Coast PC Mr. Samuel Limo, the PPO Mr. Emmanuel Mwachiti and other members of the Provincial Security Committee.

Mr Mzee said yesterday that the situation on the ground was still tense but the security forces were monitoring all the affected areas.

"Hola is quiet but the security team is keeping a 24-hour vigil on the affected areas," he said. He complained there was no will on the part of either side to stop the fighting.

"This violence has taken a lot of lives and destroyed property but there is no will of the fighting communities to cease the clashes," he said.

"The PC and other security committee members are in Tana River holding barazas in order to stop the escalation of frequent clashes there," he added.

Tarasaa Catholic priest, Fr Paul Hien said although the situation in the five locations of Garsen was calm, 120 families camping there had refused to return to their villages.

They had only relief foods to last them three weeks, while the situation in Hola 130 kilometres away was still disturbing.