The police have arrested three men suspected of torching houses in Mwembeni village in Kwale County on Tuesday October 11.
The three, John Mutuku, Alfondo Harrian and Mohammed Mbarak are detained at the Taru police station after being found with a panga, two iron bars and five sledgehammers.
The treacherous act left 25 families homeless, sleeping in the cold on Tuesday night.
According to the police report about 50 men armed with weapons invaded the Mwembeni village in Kwale, demolished houses and burned others.
“Upon noticing the presence of police, the gang which was still on its mission boarded their vehicles but were intercepted and flagged down, but they defied the order,” the report said.
The police are said to have shot at the vehicles which were suspected to be of a private developer who was trying to evict the residents without notice.
Some of the residents said they noticed military attire among the armed men, one Mr Mkalla Mdoe claimed to have noticed some carrying guns.
“They left at 1am, but I noticed that three of them were dressed in military attire,” said Mr Mdoe
Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani visited the site, condemning the act and further urged citizens to report such acts of ranch grabbing.
“One cannot sell a community ranch. All the ranches belong to the county government. No one informed us and this is against the law,” she said.
Mwanaidi Mwajirani, another victim, said she also lost property.
“I have lost everything in my house,” Ms Mwajirani said.
The act is still under investigation.
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