38 people killed in renewed Tana clashes

Written By:Mary Daraja,    Posted: Mon, Sep 10, 2012

16 men, five women, eight children and nine police officers were killed in the latest flare up 38 people were Monday morning killed in Kilelengwani village in Tana River County in fresh attacks that also saw over 167 houses torched. Nine police officers are among those killed in the dawn raid. According to Kenya Red Cross official in charge of disaster in Coast region Sadiq Kakai their officers are still assessing the situation. KRCS confirmed that 16 men, five women, eight children and nine police officers were among those killed when over 300 attackers armed with guns raided the village and torched houses. Coast Provincial Police boss Aggrey Adoli says the situation remains tense on the ground but the government is making efforts to beef up security. Speaking to KBC on phone, Adoli noted that the police are yet to establish the number of households affected by the dawn clashes and the casualties. He also said the disarmament exercise started by the government over the weekend was ongoing on but there was fear among the communities to engage in the exercise due to an upsurge in clashes. Speaking to journalists, Tana River County Commissioner Mr. Joseph Rotich said that a GSU vehicle was also burnt in the incident. Mr. Rotich said that the attack happened just around where a police post was recently established in efforts to bring peace between the Orma and Pokomo who live adjacent to each other in the Kilelengwani area. "This is the highest level of impunity I have ever experienced, the government is busy trying to protect the people and in return the same people turn and kill the police officers," said Mr. Rotich. However, he continued to say that a contingent of additional security officers have been sent to the area to beef up the security. Meanwhile Coast legislators led by Garsen MP Danson Mungatana and his Bura counterpart Nuh Abdi called on the government to intervene the situation and called on for military to be sent to the area to calm  the tension.