Police said the confrontation involved members of the Garre and Degodia communities/FILE
Police said the confrontation involved members of the Garre and Degodia communities.
“There have been tensions between these two communities since they learnt of the Mandera attacks. This afternoon they fought and one person has been killed,” a senior police officer in Wajir said.
Wajir County commissioner Naftali Mungathia confirmed the attacks.
“We have one person killed and several houses have been burnt. We are doing everything possible to restore security,” he said, adding “there are measures we have put in place including ensuring that there are no people going out at night.”
A police officer there said the dusk-to-dawn curfew was meant to “ensure there are no revenge attacks at night.”
The attacks follow earlier ones that occurred in neighbouring Mandera district where 10 people have been killed since Monday.
Police have blamed the attacks on the animosity between members of the two warring communities which spread between Mandera and Wajir, and across the border with Ethiopia.
The killings on Thursday followed Tuesday night’s massacre of some 52 people hacked or burned to death in Reketa village of Tana River county pitting members of two warring communities – the Pokomos and Ormas.
The two communities have been fighting over land and water, leading to the retaliatory attacks perpetrated by the Pokomos against their Orma neighbours.
Acting Internal Security Minister Yusuf Haji has ordered a thorough investigation, including a probe against Galole MP Dhadho Godhana whom he accused of boycotting meetings called to foster peace.
“I have ordered the CID to investigate this particular MP, Dhadho because he also failed to attend a meeting for local leaders called in my office today,” Haji told Parliament on Thursday, adding; “This MP has also been bragging before colleagues that he will never attend any of my meetings. I want him investigated.”