Kenya is grappling with a deadly conflict in southeastern Tana River County, where at least 18 people have been killed in inter-communal clashes over the past two weeks, police reported on Saturday. The violence erupted as pastoralist communities resisted the relocation of flood victims to grazing lands, intensifying tensions in the region.
Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki declared 12 areas in Tana River County “dangerous and disturbed” on Friday, while Kenya’s national police chief, Douglas Kanja, urged residents to surrender their firearms to prevent further violence.
The clashes have been most severe in the town of Bura, where the county government allocated land to resettle those displaced by flooding along the Tana River, Kenya’s longest river. However, local pastoralists protested, fearing the relocation would encroach on their grazing grounds.
“We have lost 18 people since last month, which is why security has been heightened to prevent more deaths,” a senior police officer in Tana River County told reporters. “But tensions remain high as people are refusing to surrender their firearms.”
On Saturday, Kenya’s Director of Criminal Investigations, Mohamed Amin, announced the arrest of Tana River County Governor Dhadho Godhana and local lawmaker Said Hiribae for failing to appear in response to police summonses related to the unrest.
The violence has displaced many families, with homes destroyed and people fleeing the area. Residents are pleading for a lasting solution to the crisis. “We no longer feel safe here because some attacks happen even in broad daylight,” said Mohamed Ibrahim, a Bura resident. “The government must find a permanent solution.”
Local accounts suggest that the conflict is primarily driven by land disputes. A resident explained, “It’s all about land. The pastoralists don’t want these relocated people here, and that’s what sparked the clashes.”
