More than 2,000 people displaced by reemergence of cattle rustling along Elgeyo Marakwet and West Pokot county border have called for humanitarian help.
The residents said spending cold nights in bushes seven kilometres away from their homes has made their children to be hit by pneumonia.
Residents Elizabeth Joseph urged well wishers to supply them with drugs since there is no operational hospital in the area.
“We are really suffering. Our children cannot withstand cold during the night since this region is a highland and temperatures are very low during the night,” she said.
Last week more than 250 houses were torched at Kamelei and Kapushen villages in Pokot South sub-county by raiders suspected to be from the neigbouring community.
The residents are also counting losses since livestock they depend on as their major source of livelihood have died from unknown diseases.
Micheal Jibang’a, a farmer, said strange diseases have emerged in the area, killing their animals.
“The animals are congested in one region, making diseases to spread easily,” he said.
Some farmers have been forced to abandon their animals in their homes since they are too weak to walk long distances to safer places.
“This region is purely a highland area. We plant various crops like onions, vegetables, pyrethrum and Irish potatoes but they are now rotting in farms,” Jibang'a said.
West Pokot Deputy Governor Nicholas Adutonyang toured the region on Thursday and asked the national government and non-governmental organisations to supply residents with drugs and clean water.
“Children are the most affected and we fear cases of water borne diseases may occur if we don’t take argent measures,” he said.
Adutonyang noted with concern that the ongoing conflict in the area is no longer normal cases of cattle wrestling since the culprits during last Friday's attack never stole any animal.
“These conflicts are related to land issues. The national government should take action since people cannot continue being displaced from their own land," he said.
He also asked leaders from the neighbouring community to stop inciting communities living along the border and instead come together and dialogue to find a long lasting solution to the conflicts.
“It is an offence to fund youth to engage in criminal activities. The government needs to arrest and prosecute leaders involved,” he said.
“There is no winner in conflicts. Let’s put our differences aside and support our people,” he added.
The deputy governor asked residents to be calm as they wait for the state to arrest culprits who torched their houses.
Kamelei dispensary has been converted to be an Administration Police post and residents are setting up another post at Kapushen village to help improve security in the region.