Three people were killed, tens injured and more than 100 others arrested in a land dispute in
Athi River town on Friday.
Two rival groups clashed on the piece of land said to belong to
East African Portland Cement Company,
opposite Green Park Gardens
along Mombasa Road.
Some of those involved in the fight hurled stones at vehicles using
the route.
Police said one of the groups was of
hooligans ferried from Eastlands to create chaos.
Maurice Ndeti, chairman of the controversial land boundaries committee, said a group of more than 250 men were transported to the property early in the morning.
He said they arrived in four buses which were parked at a
Mlolongo hotel while the fighting took place.
Athi River OCS Peter Kiema and Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama visit a piece of land in Athi River, believed to belong to East African Portland Cement Company, following clashes on February 24, 2017. /GEORGE OWITI
Ndeti reported that the
hooligans demolished more than 50 houses constructed on the land by locals.
He claimed they were members of an outlawed criminal gang from central Kenya, who were hired by an individual to evict them from the land.
They were armed with
bows, arrows, guns and other crude weapons, said the chairman.
"We peacefully divided the land among 16 society groups in the Kamba community. These people are invaders since they do not belong to any of the groups," he said.
He noted this was the fourth such attack.
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Athi River deputy county commissioner
Geoffrey Omoding'
confirmed the number of people killed.
Those arrested were taken to Machakos police station.
The people swore to
keep vigil on the land to keep invaders away.
Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama, who visited the scene, said
police should protect residents and their property.
He said he will petition
the government to compensate the owners of the demolished
houses.
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