Kitui County Commissioner, Kipchumba Rutto/Musembi Nzengu.Kitui County Commissioner Kipchumba Ruto has moved to quell
insecurity along the county’s common border with Tana River after two residents
were on Sunday night gunned down by criminals.
Ruto said the gunmen who left another man nursing gunshot injuries and are recuperating in the hospital were believed to be from Tana River.
He said the victims of the attack were charcoal burners who were ambushed while sleeping in a Manyatta in the Twambui area of Endau/Malala in Zombe subcounty of Kitui East.
Addressing the media in his office on Tuesday, Ruto said following the fatal attack, he had instructed the Zombe subcounty security committee to flush out all the charcoal burners and dealers from the volatile area. He also asked the county government of Kit
Ruto said following the fatal attack, he had instructed the Zombe subcounty security committee to flush out all the charcoal burners and dealers from the volatile area.
He also asked the county government of Kit
ui to stop issuing licenses and permits to charcoal dealers and transporters in the volatile area.
“We have taken action, and any charcoal dealer or transporters who will be caught in the area will be arrested and arraigned before a court of law,” the administrator said.
The county commissioner said the attack should not be misconstrued as a conflict pitting the local Kambas and encroaching herders from neighbouring Tana River county.
He said the killings appeared to be a result of a charcoal deal gone sour.
"I think it was not an incident of intercommunal conflict. These are criminals who met in the bush when dealing with charcoal burning, and they disagreed. That is why there were clashes and killings," he said.
He said for a while, the county security team has managed to ensure security in the area and thus intercommunal flare-ups have not been experienced in recent times.
He said that although the common border between Kitui and Tana River counties is lined up with National Police Reserves, the area where the shooting happened was far away and bushy.
Ruto said the assailants robbed their victims of a solar panel, two mobile phones and a radio, adding that the attacked charcoal burners were therefore living in an isolated Manyatta far from the settled areas.
"We have since flushed out people from that area. We don't want to witness a repeat of such incidents," the commissioner said.
He added that a search for the armed raiders was underway as a ban was imposed on charcoal burning and transportation from the areas.
