NAIROBI — In response to escalating tribal clashes in Angata Barikkoi, Transmara South Sub‑County, Narok County, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Kenya, with support from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (EU ECHO), has provided emergency shelter items to 500 displaced households, the Kenya Red Cross Society has confirmed.
The intervention comes as families continue to flee violence in the region and face hardship during the festive season.
The conflict in Angata Barikkoi, involving rival communities including the Maasai and Kipsigis, has intensified in recent weeks, displacing more than 1,800 people in just three days and reducing hundreds of homes to ashes.
According to humanitarian reports, at least 253 households were torched, forcing residents to seek refuge in schools, dispensaries and open spaces, with some sleeping under trees.
Women, children and people with disabilities have been among the most affected by the unrest.
The provision of emergency shelter by IOM and the EU is part of a growing humanitarian response aimed at addressing the urgent needs of displaced families, who are grappling with a lack of basic necessities including safe shelter, food and protection.
The support, which includes shelter kits distributed on the ground, is expected to be scaled up in the coming days as more assistance is mobilised.
The violence in Transmara South has prompted government action, with authorities designating parts of Transmara West and South as security‑disturbed areas and imposing a dusk‑to‑dawn curfew to curb further clashes.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat has urged calm and called for the surrender of illegal firearms to prevent further loss of life and property.
Meanwhile, leaders and stakeholders at both national and local levels have called for dialogue and reconciliation to address the deep‑rooted land and resource disputes that have fuelled the conflict.
Calls for peace have emphasised the need for long‑term solutions that foster coexistence and stability in the region.
As humanitarian teams remain on the ground, the combined efforts of IOM, EU ECHO and Kenya Red Cross signal a coordinated response to alleviate suffering and support displaced families while authorities work to restore security and order in the affected communities.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has since declared Angata Barikkoi and surrounding areas as security-disturbed zones.
“A dawn-to-dusk curfew is already in force, and security presence in the affected areas has been significantly enhanced,” the Cabinet Secretary said, adding that calm was gradually returning.
The government has deployed additional security personnel to restore order and prevent further clashes. Authorities are also enforcing a curfew and collecting illegal firearms to safeguard residents and curb violence.
