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Violence broadening to regional conflict
Story by SATURDAY NATION Reporter
Publication Date: 4/7/2007
The Mount Elgon clashes which have so far claimed more than 140 lives are slowly broadening to a regional conflict.
The Sebei community from Uganda who are historically and culturally associated with the Sabaot of Kenya, are claimed to be participating in the conflict.
Already, some of the victims of the clashes are said to have crossed over to Uganda in search of refuge.
Hundreds of families have also moved to Bungoma. With more than 60,000 displaced and 144 killed, the feud is turning to be a real threat to national security.
Local elders say past tensions were rooted in land ownership, which was somewhat redressed in 1971 when the Kenyatta administration authorised settlement of the landless Ndorobo and Soy clans.
That came to be known as Phase I of the settlement, distributed in the ratio of 65 per cent to Ndorobos and 35 per cent to the Soy.
The same principle was applied when families were settled in the second phase of 1998.
Trouble started last year when Phase III of the settlement started.
Six attempts had been nullified due to lack of land for more than 7,000 families which had applied for 1732 plots available.
Violent clashes
Another source of discord was that the project targeted 866 Ndorobo families and a similar number from the Soy, although the former had received more land in past allocations.
Violent clashes were triggered when those settled since 1971 were ordered out to pave way for new allotees.
And last year, a militia group started launching attacks mainly targeting the Ndorobo
clan.
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