Two people have been killed in a confrontation between police and Maasai morans in Imbirrikani area of Kajiado County.
Fighting began on Saturday
morning when protesting Maasais blocked the Emali/Loitokitok road with stones.
The demonstrating morans
accused officials of Imbirrikani Group Ranch of “leasing out” a chunk out of
their land to an international cement producing company based in Athi River.
Security personnel who
requested anonymity said tension has been brewing after it emerged some of the
group’s leaders made a “secret” arrangement to lease more than 1,000 acres to
the company.
Speaking to the Star on the phone, Kajiado South deputy county commissioner, Abdirisak Jaldesa, said a police officer was shot dead and another seriously wounded when four APs attempted to unblock the highway.
“It has been bloody scenes
here, our officers tried all they could to talk to the morans to clear the road
but instead, they started shooting and stoning our officers," he said.
"One of the men had a
firearm which he used to shoot at our officers who died instantly.”
Jaldesa said the morans
became violent and unrelenting, further pursuing the three fleeing police
officers and injuring one.
“They were not provoked, and
I will stand by my officers on this matter.”
“When we called the regular
police, the morans came in droves, and our officers retreated as we attempted
to call in reinforcement,” he added.
The commissioner said after
several hours of the standoff, a contingent of GSU officers arrived in
Imbirrikani to restore order.
Jaldesa said another fight
ensued after the morans regrouped and repelled the GSU officers who had
attempted to approach them.
“The officers were firing in
the air to scare them off, but it appeared they were more provoked by the
presence of the GSU,” he said.
“They confronted the officers
even as the policemen fired in the air.”
Jaldesa said police were
forced to use live bullets killing one person in the process.
Efforts by Governor David
Nkedianye and his deputy Paul Ntiati, who hails from the region, to stop the
Morans from attacking the police fell on deaf ears.
Police managed to secure the
road and by around 2:30 pm, more than 1,000 vehicles that had been held back by
the bloody clashes began moving.
The road connects Kenya and
the neighboring Tanzania through Loitokitok town.
Witnesses told the Star while
police had secured the road, more morans had converged in the nearby bushes.
“As I am talking to you
things are not perfect here because the morans have not left this area,” a
witness said.
“They have just retreated and
are in serious talks amongst themselves.”
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