An uneasy calm has returned to Nkararu area in Keynan ward of Trans Mara West Sub County after a fresh flare-up erupted between two Maasai clans residing in the area on Friday.
Speaking to the press today, Narok County Commissioner Mr. Samuel Kimiti said the chaos erupted when one person wanted to plough his land on one side of the boundary and young men from one clan who were opposed to this ploughing attacked the workers on the farm.
The members of the two clans are then said to have attacked each other with machetes, bows, arrows and rungus, leaving scores of people injured.
Security has been beefed up in the area with a contingent of security personnel drawn from various sectors patrolling the area which is now calm after security personnel moved in to quell the fracas.
The two clans of Uasin Gishu and Siria have had a long standing dispute over land boundary and mid last month, a flare-up erupted between them that allegedly left scores of people injured.
But in August this year, the two warring factions of the Maasai community in Transmara West finally agreed to solve a long standing boundary dispute in the area so as to end the conflict among them.
During a meeting between the two warring Siria and Uasin-gishu clans midwifed by local leaders and the administration in Narok County Commissioner’s boardroom today, it was agreed among both parties that proper boundaries be set up to clearly distinguish the land owned by one clan from that owned by the other clan to resolve the dispute.
Two weeks ago the Government officially sent a surveyor to the area to demarcate the boundary between the two clans as a way of trying to end a land boundary dispute that has lasted several decades.
This move has apparently been met with opposition from one side of the two factions over exact position of the boundary who have now moved to court.
Mr. Kimiti said yesterday`s flare-up might have been caused by some people who are against the agreement and are infighting the members of the public but the issue is under investigation.
Vast land in Trans Mara area has rich soil in addition to rainfall where sugarcane, maize, beans and other cash crops grow well as well as Gold mining activity in some areas which makes land an emotive issue.
By Mabel Keya –Shikuku
