Leaders from Garissa have criticised Kitui East MP Nimrod Mbai for ordering headers who crossed over to his constituency to leave the area in 10 days.
Herders from Garissa have crossed over into Kitui for search of water and pasture following drought in their county.
Speaking to the Star separately on Tuesday, Balambala MP Abdi Shurie and Garissa Woman Representative Annab Subow said Mbai's order could stir disharmony between residents of the two counties.
They said it was wrong for Mbai to confront the headers.
Mbai was involved in a confrontation with the herders over the weekend, during which he promised to lead a team to forcefully evict the pastoralists if they fail to heed his order.
The confrontation happened in Endau Malalani where hundreds of herders from Garissa have been grazing their livestock.
Mbai accused the herders of encroaching on farms. He also termed them a security threat.
"It is time for them to leave. They have created fear among locals who cannot even visit their farms because they think they are being attacked," Mbai said.
Annab said Mbai ought to have engaged Garissa leaders for a solution before confronting the herders.
“While we acknowledge that there exist recurrent and spontaneous conflicts between the Somali herders and their Kamba neighbours over sharing of resources, the us ef violence, ethnic profiling and intimidation is unacceptable. It becomes worse when planned and orchestrated by an MP," Annab said.
“We demand an immediate apology from the MP. Otherwise he will be personally held responsible for anything resulting from his unfortunate statements.”
Shurie said the two communities have peacefully coexisted over the years, saying the Kamba community is a major stakeholder in Garissa county.
Last year, conflicts between the two communities led to the killing of more than 30 people. Many others were maimed and property destroyed.
