Families living in the cold

The government is pursuing a number of youths who burnt houses leaving 300 people homeless, following a land dispute between two clans in Endo ward of Marakwet East sub-county.
Area deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Simon Osumba assured the displaced that the government has the names of the suspect and will apprehend them and charge them with destruction of property.
The DCC was speaking when the Kenya Red Cross donated tents, water containers, soap and beddings to the victims at Chesongoch trading centre.
The victims from the Kasagur clan narrated how they were attacked on March 15 by some members of the Kapsiran clan after the court ruled that a 15 acre parcel belonged to the clan.
Robert Kitum said they lost everything as the raiders burnt their houses, made away with their livestock before destroying their farms by cutting fruit trees including mangoes and pawpaws.
Mrs. Cheruto Suter said she had washed her children’s uniform and left them to dry only to find the raiders removed them from the line and threw them in the fire.
“We don’t know what will happen to our children if the government reopens schools as their uniforms and school books were burnt and right now we have no money to replace them,” she said.
Noting that children, women and the disabled are the most affected, the women are calling on elders to urgently resolve the issue so that they can go back to their normal lives.
The DCC also appealed to the residents to consider using Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms to resolve such issues instead of taking the law into their hands.
According to Abraham Cheruiyot from the Kenya Red Cross, 61 houses were completely burnt while 5 others were partially burned.
Cheruiyot said the victims require urgent shelter and medical services.
By Alice Wanjiru