Student killed in fresh Trans Mara clashes, security heightened
Relatives at the home of 17-year-old Joshua Leteipa Kortom, who was killed in clashes between Maasai clans in Trans Mara West, Narok County, on July 23, 2021.
What you need to know:
- Joshua Leteipa Kortom, 17, succumbed to arrow injuries sustained during a four-hour long fight between the Siria and Uasin Gishu clans.
A Form Two student has been killed in fresh clashes between two Maasai clans in Trans Mara West sub-county, Narok County.
Joshua Leteipa Kortom, 17, succumbed to arrow injuries sustained during a four-hour long fight between the Siria and Uasin Gishu clans.
Leteipa was shot in the chest with an arrow as warriors from the two clans fought on Friday.
He died that evening while on transit to a Nairobi hospital. He was initially taken to Kilgoris sub-county hospital but doctors advised a referral for advanced treatment.
Relatives at the home of 17-year-old Joshua Leteipa Kortom, who was killed in clashes between Maasai clans in Trans Mara West, Narok County, on July 23, 2021.
What happened
A police report stated that youths from one of the clans, armed with bows and arrows, accosted their counterparts as they planted sugarcane.
“The youths were planting sugarcane in a shamba along the boundary. A conflict ensued, forcing members of one of the clans to call for reinforcement,” read the report.
Police officers called to quell the fight managed to separate the warriors.
Elder David Narupa said: “They were planting sugarcane on a two-acre farm belonging to Mr Thomas Kiminis Kisepei. They had not crossed the border. They suddenly saw armed youths emerge from nearby farms.”
He regretted the killing of a student who had been preparing to return to school next week. Leteipa, the second and last child in the family, attended Kenyenya Secondary School in Kisii County.
The home of 17-year-old Joshua Leteipa Kortom, who was killed in clashes between Maasai clans in Trans Mara West, Narok County, on July 23, 2021.
No arrests made
The Nation visited Leteipa’s home in Enooretet village on Saturday.
His mother, Norkeramat Talala Kortom, was not in position to speak to reporters while his father, Talala Kortom, was away at the time.
Narok County Police Commander Kizito Mutoro told journalists that officers from the General Service Unit (GSU) were deployed to the volatile area.
“We are pursuing the fighters but as of now, we have not made any arrests,” he said.
Tension is high in Nkararo, the centre of the violence.
The last two years have seen skirmishes flare up in the area, with the government stepping in to solve the disputes.
The Nkararo-Enooretet boundary is at the centre of the dispute between Siria and Uasin Gishu clans.
The dispute has left dozens dead and hundreds maimed has ranged on since 1976.
