Photo: Hezron Njorge/The Star Nairobi — At least 48 people were killed on Wednesday night during clashes between members of the Pokomo and Orma communities in Tana River.
The attacks occurred when militiamen from the Pokomo side raided manyattas at the Reketa area in Tana River, and slashed villagers to death before setting houses ablaze.
“In total 48 people died; they include 31 women, 11 children and six men,” deputy police chief for Mombasa, Joseph Kitur, said.
60 cows were also slashed to death by the attackers during the deadly fighting.
“It is a very bad incident, 34 were hacked to death and we have 14 others who were burnt to death in their houses,” he added, “our investigations have shown that it is the Pokomos who attacked the Orma people who live at an island.”
The two communities have been fighting over land, pasture and water since last month, but Wednesday’s attack was seen as the worst in their history.
“Our officers are on the ground pursuing the attackers,” he said, but could not confirm reports that some of the perpetrators were already in custody.
Police said tension had been building between the two communities for more than two weeks, but there was no immediate warning on the Wednesday night attacks.
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"AGAIN WE ARE SEEING BLACK ON BLACK VIOLENCE; THIS IS A CALAMITY WE SEE WORLD WIDE!!!! WHY?? IT SEEMS THAT POLITICIANS DO NOT HAVE POLITICAL WILL ,SOME OF THE POLITICIANS ARE CAUGHT UP IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT'." AFRICANS MUST AND SHOULD RECOGNISE THAT IN THESE TIMES THE ONLY WAY FORWARD IS THRU DIALOGUE LOVE OF OUR "ALLMIGHTY FATHER" WHOM IS SOLE PROTECTOR AND LOVE OF NATION AND CONTINENT". THERE IS A FRESH MINDSET THAT MUST BE AFRICAS; FIRST OF ALL THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT FURNISH THE PEOPLE WITH ENOUGH TOOLS ON HOW TO STAY WIDE OF INTERCOMMUNITY CONFLICTS". THE EDUCATION OF THE PEOPLE MUST BECOME STANDARD BEARER IF WE AS AFRICANS 0NE BILLION STRONG ARE TO MOVE FORWARD'. LET THE PEOPLE SIGHT!!!! BIG WORD THAT WHERE THEY ARE TODAY WAS NOT NECESARRILY HWERE THEY WERE IN PAST TIME BUT FOR OPPRESSION FORCED AND COERCED INFUSIONS; THEIR NORMAL LINES THAT WERE RESPECTED FOR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS WERE ABRUBTLY AND SYSTEMATICALY DISTURBED AND NATIONS WERE FORCED TO ACCEPT BORDERS NOT OF THIER MAKING",. THESE FORCED LINES HAVE NOT BEEN TAKEN AS FINALITY AS THE ENFORCERS HAD WISHED, THERE WAS LEFT , BITTER FEELINGS WHICH HAVE BEEN PART AND PARCEL OF THE NATIONS SINCE ITS INCEPTION; THESE EMNITIES HAVE NEVER EVER BEEN SETTLED. EVEN THOUGH IT SEEMS THAT MOST AFRICANS ARE IN THIER INDIVIDUAL NATIONS ARE OVER THIS ;1 THIS IS NOT SO. THERE MUST BE CONCENTRATED EDUCATION ALLOWING THEM TO RECOGNISE THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE TIMES. THERE MUST ALSO BE A RESPONSE THAT TODAY WE CAN NO LONGER LOOK AT THE SMALL PICTURE AND SEEK TO REDEINE OURSELVES AS ONE NATION WITH THE DESIRE TO EMPOWER EVERY SINGLE COMMUNITY WITH EDUCATION HEALTH CARE POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT AND WHEN WE HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WE MUST SEEK COMMUNITY COUNCILS WHO APPROACH THIER TRADITIONAL LEADERS AS SUCH AND DIALOGUE MUST BE THE ONLY WAY FORWARD". INTER COMMUNITY CONFLICT IS UNPRODUCTIVE AND DISTABILISES THE ENTIRE NATION. THIS IS WHY WE MUST EDUCATE THE MAJOURITY OF PEOPLE. EDUCATED SOCIETIES DOES NOT NEED OVERSIGHT AS SUCH AS PEOPLE MAKE MORE RIGHTEOUSS CHOICES. ALL THESE PRACTICES WE SEE IN AFRICA IS ALL RESIDUAL OF WESTERN INTERVENTIONS AND MISRTULE IN AFRICA""" WE MUST ACCEPT THIS AS FACT, WE CAN SEE TODAY THAT THE ONLY WAY THE WEST KNOWS TO SETTLE ANY MATTERS IS THRU VIOLENCE AND THEY HAVE IMPOSED THESE BARBARIC IDEOLOGIES OVER THE WHOLE CONTINENT. WHIE THEY MISRULED ABUSED THE CONTINENT THEY RULED NOT BY MAJOURITY OR DEMOCRATIC WILL THEY OPPRESSED VIOLENTLY THEY MURDERED WITH IMPUNITY. IT WAS WRITTEN INTO NATO LAWS ; I USE NATO TO DEFINE THE NATIONS WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE SLAVE TRADE; THESE NATIONS ALL HAD LAWS ON THIER BOOKS, 'THAT SHOULD ANY WHITE MAN KILL A BLACK MAN WOMAN OR CHILD ,HE WOULD NOT BE CHARGED OR RECIEVE PUNISHMENT!!!!!" THIS WAS A VERY DISTURBING FACT THAT SHAPED ALL HSITORY AND TODAY WE FEEL THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THESE RACIST IDEOLOGIES". TODAY IT IS IMPORTANT TO SIGHT THAT WHENEVER TWO DISTINCT CMMUNITIES ARE BORDERING ON CIVIL CONFLICT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE THIS IS THE NATURE OF THE BEAST". WE MUST ALY TO OUR COMMUNITIES TECHNOLOGIES THAT WILL ALLOW FOR THEM TO ACCESS INFORMATION QUICKLY AND ALSO TO LEARN DIFFERENT TOOLS OTHER THAN THE REACTION TO A ACTION" THE GOVERNMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FORT ALL ITS CITIZENS THOSE THAT VOTED FOR AND AGAINST' OUR GOVERNMENST MUST STAND UP AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AS BIG MAN AND SAY WELL THERE ARE COMPLEXITIES IN AFRICA THAT MUST BE CONSIDERED THE LAY OF THE LAND FOR ONE THE INFUSSION THAT WAS NOT THE WISH OF THE AFRICANS. MANY ISSUES HAVE REMAINED SEETHINMG FOR CENTURIES BOILING OVER FROM TIME TO TIME. WHAT THE WEST DID IN AFRICA IS STILL THIER POLICY WOLD WIDE POLICY TODAY; THEY SEEK PORXIES TO FIGHT FOR THEM USING THEM AS OVERSEERS ON LARGE AREAS DEVELOPING A PLANTAION SYSTEM WHERE THEY ARE THE ULTIMATE RULERS. THIS IS WHY WE HAVE CONFLICT RIDDEN ZONES WHERE BLACK ON BLACK VIOLENCE IS ALL PART OF THIS NEW FINANCIAL CLASS THAT HAS ARISEN FROM THE PLANTATION CLASS. "EDUCATION IS A MUST AND WE MUST EDUCATE AFRICANS WITH TRUTH. UNLESS A MAN KNOWS WHAT THE TRUTH IS'HE STILL LIVES IN LIMBO!! DO NOT BE FOOLED INTO THINKING THAT WHAT TRANSPIRED FIVE CENTURIES AGO IS NOT RELEVANT TODAY ?? THE AFRICAN DID NOT HACK AND BUTCHER EACH OTHER IN THE LAST FEW CENTURIES, AFRICA WAS IN RELATIVE SECURITY AND PEACE UNTIL THE INVASIONS OF ITS LANDS AND PEOPLES, BY THOSE SEEKING TO ENRICH THEMSELVES WITH OUR RESOURCES." SO EVERYTHING IS A LINK, THAT IS A FACT"
Raila Odinga, commented on Ethiopians power succession to bbc broadcaster.as follows,''There are growing fears a destabilizing succession battle and power struggle in Addis could potentially complicate matters and jeopardize the whole mission in Somalia.'' this person off-course not quiet following the internal cause and life of the people. but for me it is better to see his own leadership and stability of the Kenyan people first, rather then pointing out the third person or parties issue. And one has to have the real fact on the issue, which he is going to talk. He is totally denied the strong stability and peaceful leadership of EFDRF in Ethiopia. BUT any how the people of Kenya has to deal and solve any practical and assumed problem among themselves. Educating the people and in capacitating the society is not choice but compulsory, so i agree with your idea dear. Leaders has to come down and see the problem on the ground.