Seven houses razed by suspected arsonists in Burnt Forest area
Houses that were razed in fires in Muchorwe village past Burnt Forest area, close to the multi border of Uasin Gishu, Nandi, Kericho and Baringo counties.
Seven rental houses were burnt down in suspected arson in Burnt Forest area, Uasin Gishu County, bringing to 10 the number of dwellings destroyed since the elections last Tuesday.
The Monday night incident happened despite additional police officers being deployed in the area to quell tension after the first three houses were set ablaze by unknown people last week.
More than 10 families were left in the cold after their homes were destroyed by the fires in Muchorwe village, close to the multi border of Uasin Gishu, Nandi, Kericho and Baringo counties.
Not connected to elections
County Police Commander Ayub Gitonga confirmed the incident and said the attacks were not connected to the elections.
“What happened is a normal fire incident and there were no injuries during the inferno,” said Mr Gitonga.
He said three of the houses were not occupied and police were investigating the cause of the fires.
Counting losses
Houses razed down by suspected arsonists at Muchorwe village past Burnt Forest area, close to the multi border of Uasin Gishu, Nandi, Kericho and Baringo counties.
Owners of the razed houses were Tuesday counting losses after most of their valuables were consumed in the blazes.
Two houses were destroyed in Chagaiya village and another in Chemarer by unknown arsonists last week.
The three villages are on the edge of Burnt Forest town, which bore the brunt of the 2007/2008 post-election violence. It was one of the areas classified by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) as a violence hotspot.
Police deployed
Police were deployed in the villages to quell tensions following the fires.
Officers from the General Service Unit and the Anti-Stock Theft Unit were sent to Chemarer and Chagaiya to tackle lawlessness.
“We are investigating the fire incidents and action will be taken against perpetrators once arrested. The incident, however, has no relation with politics or the just concluded General Election,” said Mr Gitonga.
NCIC Hotspots
Burnt Forest was among the areas listed by the NCIC as those likely to see violence before and after the polls.
Others included Kisumu, Mombasa, Lamu, Bungoma, Vihiga, Kiambu, Homa Bay, Bomet and Garissa counties.
Senior security officials in the region have been holding meetings with officials from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), among other stakeholders, to monitor the areas.
“Any act of incitement to violence is against the law and we will not hesitate to take action,” warned Rift Valley Regional Coordinator Maalim Mohamed, cautioning politicians against making remarks likely to fuel ethnic divisions.
