The Coast Regional security team has moved to bring calm in Bangale Sub County and Tana North Sub County in Tana River, following inter community conflicts that have left 8 people dead.
Speaking to the press at the Bangale Deputy county commissioner’s office, the Coast Regional commissioner Rhoda Onyancha said that security officers have been stationed at the troubled areas to keep watch around the clock.
Onyancha, who was joined by her security team and the county security team said that it was unfortunate that lives were lost from a conflict between two communities who have lived together in peace for many years.
“We have tried to look at the root cause of the conflict and we have found that there was a small disagreement at a water point in Anole where one community perceived that the other community was preventing them from accessing water,” Onyancha said.
“That small incident in Anole spread to other two areas because those in the KBC area felt that their people had been hurt and then those in Nanigi retaliated to what they heard happened in the KBC area,” she added.
The regional commissioner further called on the elders of the different communities in the county to embrace dialogue in solving disagreements where they are unable to come to agreement, invite elders from other communities to help in making sure that matters do not escalate.
She also called on the elders to work with the security officers to help in getting rid of the illegal firearms in the hands of civilians warning that a mop up exercise will be conducted to collect them if they are not surrendered.
“Our community elders have been key in maintaining peace because in Tana River, where something happens in our communities, there are elders who come out to discuss and bring peace. We want to ask the elders of the two communities to come together and sit down to solve these issues,” she said.
“We will be soft to allow the elders and Kings of our communities to help us by urging their people to surrender the illegal guns. If they don’t succeed, we will do a mop up because we cannot allow illegal firearms in the hands of civilians hurting our citizens,” she added.
The coast regional police commander George Seda on his part said that the investigations into the incidents have been launched and that the culprits will be brought to book.
“Crime was committed, lives and property were lost. Our view is to have the perpetrators brought to book and we want you to come out to share information with us. If you don’t, we still have the best men on the job and we will catch them,” Seda said.
By Erick Kyalo
