One person died on the spot while at least 12 houses were burnt following fierce inter community clash pitting Luhya and Kalenjin communities at Kipsomba village in Soy sub county in Uasin Gishu County.
According to eye witnesses interviewed by members of the press, the incident was sparked by a love relationship gone sour involving a Luhya girl and a Kalenjin boy.
Ms. Dorcas Musundi, who is the aunt to the Form two girl, narrated how her come-we-stay husband, Mr. John Rotich decided to storm the house, within the neighbourhood, where the girl and her boyfriend were locked on Tuesday evening.
“My husband, with help from his friend, Mr. Boniface Wekhanya, engaged in a fierce altercation with my niece’s boyfriend, Sostin Kipchumba, aged 20 years,” recalled Ms. Musundi.
The clash saw Kipchumba sustain serious injuries all over the body and efforts to save his life were fruitless as he was pronounced dead upon arrival at Soy Sub County Hospital where he had been rushed by well wishers.
Rotich and his accomplice were arrested and are in custody at Soy Police Station where they are assisting security organs with investigations into the occurrence.
Ms. Musundi and Rotich are not in an officially recognized marriage relationship, “Though he has been staying in my house and compound as the husband,” clarified Musundi.
Despite the duo having been apprehended, confirmed reports indicate the deceased family relatives stormed into Musundi’s homestead at about 11pm the same night before touching her houses.
The woman with her six children, including a one-month-old baby were forced to spend the cold night in a maize plantation.
The enraged protestors, allegedly in song and dance of Kalenjin war songs, proceeded and touched other eleven houses whose owners were accused of having close relations with Ms. Musundi, according to an eye witness.
Besides razing the houses, the mob vandalized and stole property worth millions of shillings.
Musundi claimed she had lost property approximated at Sh.700,000.
Mr. Joseph Wafula Mutambo told journalists a total of five houses on his compound were razed down, including damage caused to property estimated at Sh.3million.
Among the stolen items from his storehouse were 120 iron sheets, two solar panels and 14 sacks of cereals, “My motorbike was reduced to ashes,” added an aggrieved Wafula who is a father of 12.
The worried father said out of his twelve children he had only seen five and he didn’t know the whereabouts of the other seven, saying they ran away when the youth stormed the compound. “I have only seen five children, seven are missing I don’t whether
they are safe wherever they are or not,” said Wafula.
Affected families have expressed fear and are now appealing for immediate intervention from both the national and Uasin Gishu County governments.
They have raised concerns why the protesters only targeted houses
belonging to Luhyas, yet Rotich, the main architect of Kipchumba’s death was spared.
While addressing a security meeting at the scene, Deputy County Commissioner, Mr. Hassan Ali Bule, urged the two communities to continue coexisting in order to foster peace that has always prevailed in the region for many years.
“Individual mistakes or crime should not be converted into a communal affair,” cautioned Bule, who reiterated the government would subdue any ill motives aimed at displacing people from their legally acquired lands.
