Sondu Clashes: Kindiki Deploys Elite Soldiers, Transfers Police Bosses

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has announced that the government has deployed a contingent of specialist security personnel to contain the escalation of violent crime in Sondu Town and its environs.

In a statement on Thursday, October 5, the CS explained that the move was a response to the loss of lives, destruction of property and civil order grossly undermined during the past two days.

"The special deployment is to be supervised jointly by the Rift Valley and Nyanza regional security teams with firm instructions to ensure immediate resumption of normalcy and the arrest and prosecution of each and every perpetrator of the horrific crimes that have been committed against the people of Sondu Town and its environs.

"In the meantime, it has been decided to transfer all local security heads on both sides of the border and other security and public officers whose want of effectiveness, impartiality and/or competence is deemed to have resulted in the success of the criminals," stated Kindiki.

He added that additional measures to contain the situation and suppress further crime may be announced tomorrow (Friday, October 6) after a need assessment and review of the efficacy of the measures put in place tonight.

The deployment came a few hours after the Azimio la Umoja coalition pinned blame on Kenya Kwanza political leaders for fuelling the clashes splitting communities from the two counties and pitting them against each other.

The Raila Odinga-led coalition also linked senior leaders from Kericho including the governor Dr. Eric Mutai to the clashes that broke out on the border of Kisumu and Kericho counties in Sondu that have so far killed seven people.

"Big names are behind this violence. They include leaders and politicians in neighbouring counties and in the national government," claimed Azimio.

"In particular, we are demanding investigations to be carried out upon individuals who have been mentioned as sponsors of the violence, who include the Kericho County Governor, Dr Eric Mutai."

The clashes on the Kisumu and Kericho borders have been igniting each electoral cycle with Kericho and Nandi counties fighting for control of parts of Kisumu County.

Kericho has specifically claimed that Sondu should be part of the tea-growing county, while Nandi has in the past claimed Muhoroni, Chemelil, Kibos and Koru.

"The violence currently going on in Sondu is not an ordinary disagreement between villagers.

“We are convinced that this violence is being sponsored by a local politician who has set their claiming part of Kisumu County during the envisaged boundary review,” the opposition coalition further claimed.

Azimio went on to strongly condemn the senseless murders and violence prevailing in Sondu, joining several voices including governors from the Nyanza region as well as Kericho Senator, Aaron Cheruiyot slamming the gruesome clashes.

Earlier, Nyanza Governors, Anyang' Nyong'o (Kisumu), James Orengo (Siaya) and Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay) pressured  Kindiki to deploy the General Service Unit (GSU) to deal with the Sondu clashes.

Cheruiyot on his part demanded Kindiki and Inspector General of Police (IG) Japhet Koome to transfer all security officers, accusing them of laxity on their job and failing to stop the attacks which he argued could have been prevented.