Seven people were killed in skirmishes at the Kericho-Kisumu border in Sondu, and President William Ruto has ordered the arrest of everyone responsible.
On the opening day of his four-day tour to Nyanza, Ruto delivered a strong speech in Nyando, Kisumu County, declaring that Kenya has no time for those who incite ethnic hatred and ordering Interior Security Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki to take action against those responsible.
“There are people taking us backwards and we will deal with them the same way we have dealt with the bandits in the North Rift and Al Shabaab,” he said.
“Niwahakikishie ya kwamba kila mtu ambaye alisababisha mwananchi akapoteza maisha yake lazima akamatwe na apelekwe jela.”
In an effort to restore calm and normalcy to the situation, CS Kindiki swapped security chiefs from both sides of the border on Thursday.
He said that any further security personnel found to have participated in the altercations would be transferred, and those responsible for the offenses would be apprehended.
A multi-agency security team has now been sent to Sondu, Kindiki continued.
“This evening, the government has deployed a contingent of specialist security personnel to contain the escalation of violent crime in Sondu Town and its environs. Lives have been lost, property destroyed, and civil order grossly undermined during the past two days,” he said on Thursday evening.
