National

MPs blame security operation on Kitui-Tana River border for fuelling conflict

Lawmakers from Tana River County addressing the media at Parliament buildings, Nairobi on June 12, 2024. (Photo: Handout)

By Maureen Kinyanjui | Thursday, June 13, 2024

The MPs criticised the Ministry of Interior for starting the security operation in Kuriti without first consulting and coordinating with local leaders in the region.

Members of Parliament from Tana River now want top security officials to be held culpable for fueling boundary tension between their county and Kitui county.

The lawmakers who sought the intervention of Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki over the matter decried the recent security operation in Kuriti on the border of the two counties.

Keep reading

Led by Bura MP Yakub Adow, the legislators on Wednesday questioned the security operation, noting that the residents were living peacefully together.

He said the role of defining boundaries is the responsibility of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

"One county security apparatus can just decide one morning to cause mayhem and disorder and we question why. Kuriti had peace and security but after the operation, there were many injuries and loss of property," he said while addressing the media.

Consultations

The MPs also criticised the Ministry of Interior for starting the security operation without first consulting and coordinating with local leaders in the region.

"Those officers used live bullets, we have the cartridge used on civilians who were not armed and this was uncalled for. I want to put on notice the Ministry of Interior that the Eastern Region Commander and Kitui County Commissioner will be held responsible," Yakub noted.

Garsen MP Ali Wario questioned why the Kitui-Tana River boundary conflict was being handled through a security operation, which he said has made the situation worse without considering the input of local leaders.

"The issue of boundary is the work of IEBC but we have no commission. Unfortunately, police officers have become IEBC commissioners with the Eastern Regional Commissioner the chairman. We will not allow the boundary to be altered," he added.

The matter has led to hundreds of people fleeing their homes following perennial clashes between Kitui farmers and Tana herders over land and pasture.

In September 2023, at least 12 people were killed and hundreds of families were displaced following a fresh border row along the Kitui and Tana River border.

The conflict erupted when a local primary school was demolished leading to counter-accusations from both sides, eventually boiling over into a full-blown conflict.

The clashes have also led to the destruction of properties, including a police station and a primary school, within the conflict zone, as feuding communities leave the area for fear of more attacks.