Over twenty people, including several police officers have been killed in renewed attacks in the Kenyan Coastal District of Tana River, as retaliatory attacks pitting two rival communities escalated.
The attacks were conducted by members of the Pokomo community against those of the Orma ethnic group, in revenge to the killing of 18 members of the Pokomo by the latter. Last Thursday, 18 people believed to be from the Pokomo community were attacked and killed following the murder of over fifty members of the Orma community a fortnight ago. But this time round, the Pokomo raiders also attacked a Police Camp located in the KIlelengwani village in the Tana River District.
According to polive reports, over 500 armed raiders from the Pokomo community attacked the police camp, and engaged the police officers in a heavy shootout, that resulted in the deaths of six police officers beofre the raiders were repulsed. They (raiders) also attacked members of the Orma community and killed over 14 of them. before retreating to their village.
Confirming the raid, the Coast provincial Police boss Aggrey Adoli said " there was a serious confrontation between armed raiders and police”in the area". he al;so added that the reinforcement has not arrived in the affected area due to the blockade imposed by the raiders. “We have asked for a chopper to fly there. There is an attack and people are feared dead for now but we are headed there,” He added.
The Kenya Red Cross humanitarian agency said in a report that its humanitarian workers have been blocked from accessing the Kilelengwani village by the armed youths from the Pokomo tribe.
Tana River has been a flash point following a scale up in the fighting between members of the pastoralist Orma, and their farming neighbours the Pokomo and the Malakote. The violence broke out over three weeks ago, after herders from the Orma community grazed their cattle on the crops of the Pokomo. However, there has been suspicions of the involvement of local politicians, which has seen the local the Galole MP, Dhadho Godana, an Orma, being accused of fanning the violence. he has since recorded a statement with the police.
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