Two men from Masungwa area of Tseikuru ward in Mwingi North are fighting for their lives at Mwingi Level 4 Hospital after they were hacked with machetes by camel herders who invaded their farms.
Masyungwa assistant county commissioner George Wasonga said the two—Musyimi Ndana and Muthui Kamuti—were hacked by camel herders following conflict over grazing land and watering points along the border of Kitui and Tana River counties.
Kamuti said dozens of herders invaded their farms to forcefully graze their camels. Upon resisting, the herders assaulted them by using pangas and machetes among other sharp objects.
"They found us grazing our cows on our land together with my neighbour, they then confronted and forcefully herded their camels to our grazing area, upon resisting, they hacked the two of us and fled," he said.
Kamuti said he crawled to a nearby home after sustaining the cuts and alerted other neighbours about the incident who took the two to a nearby hospital.
"My neighbour was unconscious and was bleeding heavily. I thought he had died, so I crawled to a nearby home and told them what had happened. They rescued him and took him to a nearby hospital before being referred to Mwingi Level 4 Hospital."
He has deep cuts on his head, neck and hands. Kamuti has accused the government of laxity as the conflict over grazing and watering areas between residents and camel herders that has been occurring every dry season for decades now, repeats itself.
"Even after reporting to the authorities, very little is done as the herders keep invading our farms," he added.
Kamuti also noted that even when their farms have produce, the camels feed on them and when owners of the land try to resist, they are killed or harmed.
Ndana, who was hacked first and left in critical condition said he was attacked after denying the herders to graze their camels on his farm.
Muimi Muthaisu, a resident said the herders who mostly come from Wajir and Garissa counties, forcefully graze their camels into their farms and when residents resist, they are hacked or even shot dead.
He said they are usually armed with guns, pangas among other deadly weapons.
Ndana's wife Kavata, said her husband was hacked by the same herders last year. She said they returned to his farm again to graze their camels by force assaulting him this time almost to death.
"I nearly became a widow courtesy of these herders who have always claimed lives along Kitui-Tana River border where the government does so littles to avert the conflict," she said.
The conflict between the Akamba community and camel herders has been witnessed for decades where during dry seasons a conflict ensues between the two communities after camel herders herd their animals into locals farms.
Residents are mostly farmers where in most cases, their farm produce gets destroyed by the camels.
