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Villagers Flee Their Homes As Calm Returns

The East African Standard (Nairobi)
NEWS
January 25, 2005
Posted to the web January 24, 2005
Nairobi
Scores of villagers continued to flee their homes yesterday as calm returned in
Naivasha's Mai Mahiu area.
The area was the scene of fierce fighting over water, which left 15 people dead
on Saturday and Sunday.
In the Kedong area, many homes were still deserted after the fighting, which
was triggered by a row over a water point in Ewaso Kedong River.
The clashes erupted after pastoralists destroyed water pipes and disconnected
electricity at the home of a former Limuru councillor.
Water ministry officials, led by the registrar of water rights, Mr John Nyaoro,
and the Rift Valley Committee Water Association chairman, Prof Ezra Maritim,
toured the area to assess the situation.
"The Lari group was given the right to use the water in 1972 and they started
fixing the pipes a few days back after their permit was renewed," said Nyaoro.
He told the pastoralists that diversion of some of the water to the farms was
not going to affect them in any way, adding that water in the area had
increased from 4,000 to 6,000 cubic meters.
At the scene, destroyed water pipes and uprooted power poles were scattered all
over.
Rift Valley provincial police boss, Joseph Kimetto, said no children or women
had been injured in the skirmishes.
"Only men were killed and injured in the incident and the situation is now calm
but our security forces are still in the area," he said.
Six Kanu MPs demanded an immediate and conclusive end to the fighting between
several communities in the country.
Legislators John Sambu (Mosop), Charles Keter (Belgut), Justin Muturi
(Siakago), Bonaya Godana (North Horr), Sammy Ruto (Konoin), Ali Wario (Bura)
and Ali Bahari (Isiolo South) said the causes of the conflict were known.
"Conflict over water and pasture has always been there, it is not new. It is up
to the Government to resolve it," said Sambu.
The MPs said the Government should stop the killings in Suswa, Mai Mahiu and
Kwanza areas.
In Naivasha's Mai Mahiu area, the death toll from Saturday's fighting was 15,
while 12 others were admitted to hospital with serious injuries.
And on the boundary between Trans Nzoia and West Pokot districts, more than ten
people have been killed in the past six months.
The renewed clashes began after herdsmen claimed their livestock had been
denied access to water points.
Elsewhere, the Government was blamed for the skirmishes in Mai Mahiu, Nakuru
District.
Herdsmen along the Kajiado/Nakuru and Naivasha districts boundary accused the
Government of failing to resolve the row earlier.
"We warned them of a possible tribal dispute over the water after our livestock
were denied access to the only water source in this area. We cannot sit back
and lose our livelihood to greedy individuals," said one herdsman.
The group vowed they would not give up their fight to have full access to the
water.
Ewuaso Kedong's councilor, Julius Parsireti ole Ngomeya, also accused people
living upstream of diverting the river to their farms for irrigation purposes.
"We cannot compromise on the survival of our livestock which is our only source
of livelihoods at the expense of an individual's selfishness," Ngomeya said.
They urged the Government to demolish all private water dams.
A spot check revealed that some individuals have constructed dams along River
Ewuaso and are pumping the water into their farms leaving herdsmen living
downstream in Kajiado's
Ewuaso location and some parts of Nakuru District's Longonot areas without any
water.
The provincial administration was accused of ignoring warnings of impending
clashes in Mai-Mahiu last week.
Councillor Ndungu Njenga, who is the chairman of the 750-member Raare Farmers
Group, which was invaded by warriors, said he had informed police at Mai-Mahiu
and the provincial administration but they declined to act.
He said during a meeting between elders from Kajiado and the farmers at
Naivasha DO's office on January 21, the elders made verbal threats.
On Thursday, morans invaded Raare farm and stole 50 sheep but Anti-Stock Theft
Unit police recovered them at Nyakinyua farm, 12 kilometres away.
Elsewhere, calm has returned in Kwanza constituency in Trans-Nzoia district
following a peace meeting between herdsmen and local residents.
Trans-Nzoia District Commissioner Christopher Musumbu said the area was now
peaceful and urged residents who had fled to return to their homes and farms.
Musumbu said permanent security camps had been set up along the boundary to
ensure peace prevails.
However, as the DC assured the residents of enough security, 20 schools in the
area remained closed.
The local Kenya National Union of Teachers [Knut] executive secretary, John
Wekesa, said learning would only resume once the Government provides maximum
security to the affected schools.
He called on National Security minister Chris Murungaru to resign, saying that
he had failed to provide Kenyans with security.
"The schools will remain closed until there is maximum security in the area,"
said the Knut boss flanked by his treasurer, John Siboe.
Rift Valley Provincial Commissioner Wilfred Ndolo on Saturday held separate
meetings with leaders from West Pokot and Trans-Nzoia in a bid to reconcile the
warring communities.
Yesterday, Musumba told the press more security personnel would be sent to the
area to beef up security.
And Environment Minister Kalonzo Musyoka yesterday said the fighting Mai Mahiu
over water is a sign of similar fights countrywide due to depletion of forest
covers.
Musyoka, who condoled the bereaved families, said closed canopy forests in
Kenya have fallen from 3 per cent to 1.79 per cent at independence.
"We might see more of such battles as forest covers are destroyed and water
becomes scarce. The next world war will fought over water resource," stated
Kalonzo.
The Tana River Development Authority deputy chief executive, Ferdinand
Wanyonyi, also called for an end to the killings in Kwanza constituency.
"As we talk now, the situation is worsening because of inadequate and ill
equipped security officers," he said.
He said Kwanza residents wanted to know why the Government withdrew security
personnel from the area last year.

   

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