- Fresh clashes along the Kisii-Trans Mara border have left two people dead and several others injured.
- The violence has disrupted learning and heightened fears among parents as schools reopen for Third Term.
- Security officials have deployed additional officers as leaders call for calm and an end to retaliatory attacks.
Fear has gripped communities living along the Kisii-Trans Mara border following fresh clashes that have left two people dead and several others injured.
The skirmishes have triggered concerns over the safety of residents and learners as schools reopen.
The violence erupted over the weekend in areas including Nyabitunwa and Kiango, forcing frightened families to flee their homes in search of safety.
Several properties and sugarcane farms have reportedly been set ablaze, while business and transport activities in the affected areas have been disrupted. Some of those injured are receiving treatment in hospital after sustaining serious arrow wounds. Reports independently confirm two deaths, multiple injuries, torched farms and disruption of transport, trade and other essential services.
Learning disrupted as tension persists
The renewed clashes have also disrupted learning, with a spot check showing that several schools remained deserted as tension persisted in the area.
Residents say the disruption amounts to a violation of children’s right to education and are calling on the government to take urgent action to guarantee the safety of learners and teachers.
Teachers’ unions in the area have also called for immediate intervention, warning that they could withdraw their members if security is not restored.
Narok County Commissioner Kipkech Lotiatia said security agencies were working to restore calm and ensure residents could return to their normal activities. Lotiatia is the current Narok County Commissioner.
“As security officers, we must ensure peace has returned to this area,” said Lotiatia.
Police and leaders from Kisii and Narok counties have held an urgent meeting as efforts intensify to contain the violence. Additional security officers have been deployed to the affected areas to pursue those responsible and prevent further attacks. The emergency security meeting at Nyabitunwa has been independently reported.
Leaders call for restraint
Narok County Assembly Speaker Davis Dikirr condemned the fighting and called for urgent action by security agencies and the youth. His name is officially rendered Davis Dikirr, rather than “Davis Dikiir” in the original copy.
“We condemn the ongoing fighting along the Kisii and Trans Mara border. The security department must restore peace and the youth must stop fighting,” said Dikirr.
Principal Secretary Stephen Isaboke also urged residents and young people to exercise restraint and avoid further escalation.
“What we are witnessing along our border needs a quick intervention. We urge the youth and community to maintain peace,” said Isaboke.
The conflict is reportedly linked to a dispute between two youths from neighbouring communities who were allegedly fighting over a woman at a local drinking establishment in Nyabitunwa. What began as a disagreement is said to have escalated into wider clashes between members of the two communities. Nation has separately reported that the latest clashes were triggered by a bar dispute involving two young men and a woman.
Residents appeal for lasting peace
Local elders are now appealing for an end to the violence, saying revenge will only deepen divisions between communities that have coexisted for years.
They are urging the two sides to lay down their weapons, embrace dialogue and find a lasting solution to their differences.
The renewed violence has heightened anxiety among parents, teachers and residents, with calls growing for authorities to restore security before normal learning and economic activities can fully resume.
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For many families, the immediate priority is the safe return of their children to classrooms and the restoration of the peace that has long characterised life along the Kisii-Trans Mara border.
By Kimutai Langat
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