The Coast Regional security team has intensified efforts to restore calm in Bangale and Tana North Sub Counties in Tana River, following inter-community clashes that have claimed eight lives.
Speaking at the Bangale Deputy County Commissioner’s office, Coast Regional Commissioner Rhoda Onyancha said security officers have been deployed to the conflict areas to provide 24-hour surveillance.
Onyancha, accompanied by her security team and the county security team, expressed regret over the loss of lives resulting from a dispute between two communities that have coexisted peacefully for many years.
“We have traced the root cause of the conflict to a minor disagreement at a water point in Anole, where one community believed the other was preventing them from accessing water,” Onyancha explained.
She further noted that the Anole incident escalated to other areas, with residents in the KBC area reacting to reports that members of their community had been harmed. In turn, those in Nanigi retaliated, perpetuating the violence.
Onyancha urged community elders to engage in dialogue to resolve disputes, and where they are unable to reach a consensus, to seek assistance from elders in other communities to prevent conflicts from intensifying.
She also called on elders to cooperate with security forces in recovering illegal firearms, warning that a disarmament exercise would be carried out if the weapons were not surrendered voluntarily.
“Our community elders play a critical role in maintaining peace. In Tana River, whenever conflicts arise, elders come together to discuss and mediate. We ask the elders from both communities to come together to resolve these issues,” Onyancha said.
“We will initially be lenient, allowing the elders to persuade their people to surrender illegal firearms. However, if this fails, we will conduct a mop-up operation to remove these weapons. We cannot allow civilians to possess illegal guns and endanger our citizens,” she added.
Coast Regional Police Commander George Seda confirmed that investigations into the clashes are ongoing and pledged that those responsible will be apprehended.
“Crimes have been committed, lives have been lost, and property destroyed. We are committed to ensuring that the perpetrators are brought to justice. We urge you to provide any information that could assist us. However, rest assured that we have the best team working on this, and we will find them,” Seda said.
