NAIROBI, Kenya — Calm is gradually returning to Kwa Kamari village in Tseikuru sub-county, Kitui County, two days after a deadly inter-community attack left seven people dead, scores injured, and several houses torched.
Security has been intensified in the area, with a heavy deployment of General Service Unit (GSU) officers and regular police aimed at restoring order and preventing further violence along the volatile Kitui–Tana River border.
Authorities say retaliatory attacks have since pushed the death toll to 12, raising concerns over escalating insecurity in the region.
Kitui Governor Julius Malombe called for an immediate truce between the affected communities. He urged the Interior Ministry to fast-track the operationalisation of police stations along the border, arguing that a stronger security presence is critical to preventing recurring clashes.
The violence has triggered sharp political reactions, with Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka demanding accountability from the government over what he termed a major security lapse.
In a statement dated April 26, Kalonzo said about 40 heavily armed attackers stormed the Kwa Kamari Trading Centre at around 2 pm and opened fire on unarmed civilians.
Six men and one woman were killed, with reports indicating victims suffered gunshot wounds and machete cuts. One survivor remains in critical condition in the hospital.
“This is not merely a tragedy. It is a governance failure of the gravest order,” Kalonzo said.
He questioned how the attackers accessed automatic rifles and moved across county borders undetected, describing the assault as organised and coordinated. According to his account, the assailants arrived in two unmarked vehicles, raising concerns over intelligence and surveillance gaps.
Kalonzo also put Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on the spot, citing his constitutional responsibility for national security. He questioned how armed individuals were able to move freely within Kitui carrying weapons such as AK-47 rifles without interception.
The Wiper leader further alleged that the attackers, believed to be from a pastoralist community, had earlier encroached into the Mwingi North Game Reserve, where tensions had been reported prior to the attack.
He called for the urgent deployment of additional security personnel to Tseikuru and the wider Mwingi North region. He also demanded a full criminal investigation, the arrest and prosecution of those involved, and a coordinated disarmament operation targeting illegal firearms in Kitui and neighbouring counties.
