The government has deployed the Kenyan Defence Force (KDF) to Anole area in Tana River County in its latest security enforcement.
In an update on security situation in Tana River, Inspector General (IG) of Police Douglas Kanja said the KDF officers will work with the National Police Service (NPS) to beef up security.
Kanja said five people fatally wounded and two other people slightly injured as a result of gunshots in a shooting incident that occurred in Anole area on October 4, 2024.
The IG said a retaliatory attack at Nanighi Village on the same day led to the death of four more people following attack using crude weapons, while several houses (manyattas) were torched.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that the dispute was caused by disagreement between two communities over control of a watering point at Anole,” Kanja said.
“Consequently, we have scaled up security operations in the area, with reinforcement teams from NPS and KDF, while the DCI have launched investigations to pursue the perpetrators of this heinous act.”
Kanja said the situation is currently under control and appealed to the local communities to continue maintaining peace.
He reiterated NPS’s commitment to maintaining law and order across the country and called upon the public to work with the police to fight criminal activities.
“Whereas the National Police Service in collaboration with other security agencies remain on high alert and are closely monitoring the situation in the Tana River County and other parts of the country, we wish to call upon all members of public to partner with the Police, by reporting any criminal activities or suspects,” Kanja added.
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Tana River Attacks
Two weeks ago, armed attackers invaded KBC cluster village in Madogo, where flood victims were staying, and killed three people starting clashes between the Wardei and Wailwana communities.
The conflict then spread to Nanighi and nearby villages around Bura, with attackers from both sides using firearms, bows, and arrows, while security officers struggle to control the situation
Eight people were killed between October 3 and October 5 bringing the death toll in the troubled parts of Tana River County to 12 in the last two weeks only as tension still remains high.
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Four were killed in Nanighi, two at KBC grounds and two at Anole area between this period.
A dispute at a watering point in Anole between two communities sparked the first incident, leading to the shooting of two people.
The clashes then intensified in the KBC area, where flood victims had recently settled. A village elder, 58-year-old Daud Shora was shot four times and died on the spot.
Bangale sub-county police commandant Ephraim Karani said the various security organs deployed in the region since October 5 have managed to restore calm despite tension in several villages.
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