Acting internal security minister Yusuf Haji has ordered police to investigate Galole MP and Livestock assistant minister Dhadho Godana over the killings of over 70 people in the Tana Delta on Wednesday.

Haji admitted before the House that the killings in the Tana Delta were politically instigated and pointed an accusing finger at the MP citing the MP's refusal to attend a peace meeting called yesterday between the government and representatives of the Orma and Pokomo communities who have been fighting for the last one week.

The peace meeting attended by Iteere, the administration police commandant Kinuthia Mbugua, the Coast PC Samuel Kilele, police spokesman Eric Kiraithe, the Coast provincial police boss Aggrey Adoli and other senior security personnel were forced to cancel the meeting abruptly following reports that another village, was under attack.

Unido village is just seven kilometers from Dire Waride where the peace meeting was taking place. Iteere had just taken to the podium to address the meeting when news of the attack was broken. Many of those present who were armed with their bows, arrows, spears started running off in the direction of the village to the dismay of Iteere and his entourage.

Those who remained pleaded with the security and provincial administration to protect them. Confusion reigned for close to an hour as as hundreds of pastoralists fled in different directions while security personnel also corked their weapons ready to respond to any emergency. Iteere abandoned the meeting and accompanied by his entourage including the Tana-Delta peace chairman Ijema Godana and six policemen, boarded the waiting Kenya Police helicopter and went to the village.

Security personnel who had been deployed in the area arrived at the village only to report that the alleged attack was a hoax. Prior to the meeting being disrupted, the community representatives had accused their elected leaders and local politicians of inciting the violence between the Pokomo and Orma communities which have lived side by side from time immemorial.

In Parliament and contrary to parliamentary procedure, the Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim allowed the debate of a member to go on without a substantive motion as required by the Standing Orders. Only much later did he step in to stop the debate. "Dhadho refused to attend and he has been bragging in Parliament why he didn't attend the meeting," a visibly agitated Haji told a hushed House.

"He called the PS (Mutea Iringo) and told him he will not attend. He has his reasons why he didn't attend, but the CID must investigate the MP," Haji said. Haji named Dhadho after Gichugu MP Martha Karua challenged him to explain the possible link between the killings and political incitement. "There are reports that local politicians incited and sponsored the killings. Impunity and is the cause of the violence," Karua said.

Nominated MP Maison Leshomo said the MP had told her in Parliament he could not attend a meeting chaired by Haji. During the meeting with MPs from the affected communities which Dhadho skipped and which was held in Nairobi, the government decided to embark on a massive disarmament exercise in the Tana Delta and North Eastern areas following the ethnic clashes.

"We have agreed that the government will conduct an operation to disarm all communities illegally armed in the country and reinforce security in the affected areas," said Haji. A new police division has also been created in the Tana Delta while more police posts will be created as the state seeks to tighten security.

Haji told the House that an emergency meeting of the National SecurityCoincil which was chaired by President Kibaki had discussed measures to deal with the crisis in which over 60 people have died in clashes in Tana River district, Mandera and Moyale in the last one week.

Haji told the House the government had deployed an additional 200 security personnel in the affected regions. He said the government has also provided vehicles to the security personnel to ease their movement. Haji said all provincial administration officials in the areas will be held accountable if more attacks happen.

He said investigations have already been launched to establish the cause of the attacks and take legal action against the inciters. Meanwhile, the Maendeleo ya Wanawake organization yesterday expressed concern over the violence and appealed to the police to bring an end to the violence. The organization's chairperson Rukia Subow said it was tragic that the attackers seemed to be targeting vulnerable women and children.