• Police lobbed tear gas canisters and fired in the air to disperse angry residents who wanted to avenge the death.
• Herders from North Eastern have invaded private farms to graze their camels.
A middle-aged man from Kirumbi village in Voi, Taita Taveta county, was stabbed to death by herders who had invaded his farm.
The Thursday evening incident prompted police to lob teargas canisters and fire in air the to disperse angry residents who wanted to avenge the death.
Voi subcounty police commander Joseph Chesire said the deceased was stabbed when he tried to drive out a herd of camels destroying crops in his farm.
“There was a disagreement between him and a number of herders of Somali origin who forcefully wanted to graze in his farm. Unfortunately, they killed him by stabbing him with a knife,” Chesire said.
The police boss who spoke to the Star on phone said two suspects were arrested following the incident.
He urged the residents to keep calm as police carried on with investigations.
“We are treating this as an isolated case and therefore residents should not blame all the herders. Let them remain calm as we try to fix the insecurity problem. They shall face the law as individuals,” he said.
The body of the deceased was moved to Moi Referral Hospital mortuary awaiting postmortem.
There has been conflict between residents and herders from North Eastern who are accused of forcefully grazing on private land and ranches without consent.
The incident happened even as residents await a report by the Senate committee on Security, Defence and Foreign Relations. Last month, the committee heard a petition by Teri B Ranch on encroachment by illegal grazers.
In the petition, residents claimed the illegal herders were suspected to be responsible for the deaths of at least four Teri B Group Ranch members between 2012 and 2013.
The members died during clashes with the herders while leading other group ranch members in an operation to flush them out.
The herders claimed they legally leased the ranch.
Residents asked the committee to investigate the circumstances that enabled the camel herders to move from their home counties and settle in Teri B Group Ranch without the knowledge and consent of the group committee and the county government.
Elsewhere, police have launched a manhunt after the killers of a 35-year-old man whose body was dumped outside his compound in Kishushe, Wundanyi constituency.
Kishushe chief David Mwandaghina said the body of John Mwachofi was discovered on Wednesday night.
He said three suspects among them a bodaboda rider had been arrested in connection to the murder.
“Police are looking for more suspected who might have been involved in the murder. The suspects are helping in investigations and shall be arraigned,” he said.