Security officers in Trans Mara South, Narok County, quelling a conflict between two warring communities after members of one community released one of their own from Lolgorian police station. The suspect was linked to the death of a police officer.
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Shock as residents 'free' killer Transmara terror suspect
What you need to know:
- The attackers reportedly demanded that the police officer vacates the piece of land he had bought and built his house on.
- The man was arrested and locked up at Lolgorian Police Station but some residents stormed the station demanding his release.
Security agencies in Trans Mara South, Narok County, are investigating how members of the public released one of their own from Lolgorian Police Station after the suspect was linked to an attack on a police officer.
The incident has reignited communal tensions between the Maasai and Kalenjin communities living along the volatile Ongata-Barrakoi border.
Narok County Commissioner Isaac Masinde linked the conflict to land disputes in the area.
The suspect and five other men, while armed with crude weapons, allegedly assaulted Rangwe Police Station sergeant at his rural home in Sitet village in Trans Mara sub-county on Wednesday.
The attackers reportedly demanded that the police officer vacates the piece of land he had bought and built his house on.
"The skirmishes here are about the police officer who was attacked following a dispute over a piece of land he bought from the neighbouring community. He was attacked and taken to Tenwek Hospital. When he was brought back, the attacker was arrested and the community members stormed the police state to demand his immediate release," said Gabriel Mibei, a resident.
The main suspect was arrested and locked up at the Lolgorian Police Station, but some members of the public, armed with guns and crude weapons, stormed the station demanding his unconditional release on cash bail, the county commissioner said.
A section of members of the other community then came out armed to confront the other community at the police station.
"It immediately led to skirmishes between the two communities, leading to the shooting of four people while several others suffered injuries from crude weapons. The injured were later treated at Lolgorian Dispensary and discharged," Masinde said.
Leonard Cheruiyot from Bomet County had gone to visit his brother when he was caught up in the melee and shot. He said the incident at the police station happened in broad daylight around 1pm.
"I had gone to visit my brother who works in Lolgorian. We later resolved to travel back home and on our way, we were met with people on motorcycles scampering. We made a U-turn. Then the motorcycle in front of me was shot at and the rider fell. I too sustained a bullet wound on my leg," Cheruiyot said.
Four people sustained gunshot wounds, police confirmed.
The conflict at Lolgorian market disrupted the livestock market as dozens of cows for sale were chased away by criminals wielding guns and machetes.
The county commissioner, County Criminal Investigations Officer Mwenda Ethaiba and County Police Commander Kizito Mutoro are currently camping in the area to flush out criminals and recover illegal firearms.
"I am not going back to Narok (town) until this issue is settled. Those who fired at people must be produced today!" County Commissioner Masinde said.
If the suspects are not produced, the chiefs and their assistants in the volatile area would be treated as suspects because they know these criminals who live among us, Masinde threatened.
Area MCA Joseph Koech questioned how people could storm a market and forcibly remove cows. He implicated local administrators in the skirmishes.
"We know who is behind the shooting, the chiefs in this area know. The government must take immediate action and seize the guns," said Koech.
Masinde reminded the residents that nobody has a right to attack a police station and release a suspect, attack a land buyer or steal cattle.
"How on earth does a person come to a police station and release a suspect?" he posed, adding that the officer who was manning the station must be questioned.
According to the law, when a person is arrested, he or she must be arraigned in court to answer to the charges.
"Those who have rightfully and procedurally bought land in this area will stay put. Let people stop evicting them because the sale agreements were done by individuals, not the community," Masinde said.
He also urged residents with illegal firearms to surrender them to a villager elder or pastor, or leave them in a church where they would be recovered
"We are following intelligent leads and we know that both sides (communities) have illegal firearms. Surrender them for the sake of peace," he said.
Investigators involved in the peace efforts believe that at least five firearms are in the wrong hands and they are out to recover them soon. The RDU and GSU are in charge of the operations.
