Saturday, July 15, 2023 – Azimio Leader Raila Odinga’s protests against the government of President William Ruto has sparked a deadly tribal war between Luos and Kalenjins along the Kisumu-Kericho border.
The tribal clashes have led to the death of two people and scores injured.
The police stated that they are working to end the chaos and stop it from escalating.
The region is volatile and erupts whenever there is a political upheaval in the country.
Residents who were injured during the clashes were hospitalized in local facilities.
“We are expecting that it will not be as bad as yesterday but we have enough police officers there and we will back them if need be” he stated.
In a statement, Kericho Governor Erick Mutai claimed that the clashes were political, putting the blame on Azimio allied politicians.
“It is regrettable that the various communities which have co-existed harmoniously as brothers and sisters have been politically incited to violence by political stalwarts associated with Azimio.
“It is sad that two lives have been lost while 5 have been injured.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the acts of anarchy and violence perpetrated on innocent business people, especially those who come from communities not supporting demonstrations, ” he claimed.
On the other hand, leaders allied to Azimio have claimed that the clashes have been sponsored by the government to puncture their mass action.
The Kericho-Kisumu border issue has been a hot potato, threatening peace among communities who live along the boundary of the two counties every time there is a political crisis.
Kericho County residents bordering Kisumu have laid claim to some towns and centres, claiming the boundaries should be redrawn to return some towns and centres to Kericho.
Kericho has in the past laid claim to Sondu, which according to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is located in Kisumu County.
Other towns claimed by either Kericho or Nandi include Muhoroni, Chemelil, Kibos, Miwani, Koru and Kopere.
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