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Ten killed along the Nyanza/RV
border
KTN
By:Rose Kamau/Judy Maina
Sat, Feb 02, 2008
Ten people have been killed and eight others, among them two
pupils injured as violence escalated between two communities along
the volatile Nyanza/Rift Valley border.
Police collected the bodies, which had arrow wounds from Nyankono
and Ikonge on the Nyamira-Bureti and Borabu/Sotik border
tea-estates and moved them to the Nyamira District Hospital
mortuary.
The injured are admitted to various hospitals in Kisii.
Among those injured is the head teacher of Nyamusi Primary who had
to be airlifted to Nairobi for specialized medical treatment. He
suffered bullet wounds during the attack.
His 17 year old son was also admitted at the same hospital with
bullet wounds but doctors said he was in a stable condition.
Nyamira DC, Samuel Njora said four of the dead who were identified,
were attacked by armed raiders who also stole several head of
cattle before setting houses on fire.
North Mugirango MP, Wilfred Ombui who visited the victims at the
hospitals condemned the attack and appealed to the warring
communities to co-exist harmoniously.
"It is no longer a political issue but an organized attack on a
particular community," Ombui said.
He demanded for the transfer of police officers from the area
saying they had taken sides. "Members of a certain community are
always put on their defense as police watch their neighbours
attack," added the MP.
Property worth millions of shillings was also destroyed at
Chebilat border town when business and residential premises were
burned during the day long fighting.
Sotik DC Humphrey Nakitare who visited the area said the
government would deploy more security officers to the region and
asked leaders from both districts to preach peace and
reconciliation.
When KNA visited Chebilat centre, fifty buildings had been razed
while more were still on fire as the warring parties continued to
fight.
St Ann Academy Primary School was completely burnt down. The
school proprietor, Meshack Rono said he also lost three
residential buildings and a posho mill.
Sotik MP Lorna Laboso and her Bomet counterpart Kipkalya Kones
condemned the violence and appealed to the communities to embrace
peaceful coexistence.
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