allAfrica.com                                                                               *


Seven Killed in Raid On Police Station


The Nation (Nairobi)


NEWS
7 January 2008
Posted to the web 7 January 2008

By George Omonso
Nairobi

Seven people were killed Sunday when gangsters stormed a police station housing
displaced people at Cherangany in Trans Nzoia East District.

The estimated 100 raiders armed with AK47 rifles, struck at 5am killing two
people.



Police returned fire shooting dead five of the raiders.

The attackers surrounded Kachibora Police Station and Noigam primary school,
which are housing about 3,000 people that have been displaced from their farms
in Geta area.

The raiders opened fire on the officers manning the two places before they were
overpowered as they tried to drive away an estimated 150 animals.

The livestock belonging to members of a local community had been moved to the
police station after their houses were torched in the post-election violence
that hit Geta.

On Sunday, local district commissioner Seif Matata said security personnel had
recovered all the animals.

He said more raiders may have been killed and their bodies were in the bush.

Exposed to risk

Mr Matata further said security had been beefed up in the area and appealed for
calm.

The administrator said that 20,000 internally displaced people in the district
are threatened with starvation.

He said the victims were exposed to the risk of contracting water-borne
diseases.

According to Mr Matata, the families are in urgent need of food and shelter if
they are to avoid starvation.

"The displaced people, most of them women and children, are in dire need of
food, shelter, clothing and medical care."

Mr Matata said more than 1,000 houses in North Kisii farm have been torched.

Donate blood

Mr Matata cited Geta, Karara and Nyakinyua farms as the most affected .

He described relief food supplied to the victims as inadequate and urged
humanitarian organisations to assist address the situation.

Kitale Catholic bishop Maurice Crowley visited the victims and donated blankets
and food.

He called for urgent intervention to stop the skirmishes saying more lives
could be lost.

Mr Matata said Kitale police commander Bernard Muli, General Service Unit
personnel and local district criminal investigations officer Issa Mohamed were
monitoring the security situation.


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