Over the last two weeks, there have been attacks and counter attacks between two larger communities i.e. the Gabras and Borana Communities in Moyale District. This fighting has led to loss of lives on both sides, burning and counter burning of vehicles owned by people from both communities, houses have been burnt, and goods have been looted as well as other assets. This has happened in Turbi in Marsabit District, Walda, Sololo, Makutano, Ndebele and Odda in Moyale District.
As Kenyans would recall, the fighting between these two communities is not new, it happened several times last year and this year, where thousands of residents of Moyale were displaced internally in Kenya and externally in Ethiopia. This situation is worrying to say the least, and urgent measures need to be taken to arrest this situation so that people can go back to their normal lives. Failure to do so will only worsen this volatile situation.
This insecurity has led to the closure of the road between Marsabit and Moyale District and has now forced motorists to travel long distances round to Moyale via Wajir.
The District Commissioner Moyale, the police and military have tried to end this fighting between these two communities but it still continues.
The Kenya Red Cross Society offers to mediate between the two communities and other communities living within Moyale to once and for all resolve the problems between the communities living in Moyale. We would like to urge the county government, local leaders and central government to do all in their powers to stop this senseless violence once and for all in order to bring normalcy to the lives of the people in Moyale District. Failure to do so will only worsen the already bad humanitarian situation.