Sporadic attacks along the Nakuru-Narok border have been a cause of concern for leaders drawn from the two counties.
Nakuru governor, Lee Kinyanjui and his Narok counterpart, Samuel Ole Tunai have urged the security agents from the two devolved units to deal decisively with the criminals fueling the inter-border conflict.
The two spoke on Tuesday after a day-long meeting with security heads where they said killings and retaliatory attacks would not be tolerated.
“One life lost is one too many and such acts of violence will not be condoned,” said Mr Tunai.
The Narok governor said cattle rustling activities along the border especially at Mauche in Njoro and Entiani were fueling the conflict, calling on the warring communities to end the conflict and embrace peace.
He regretted the recent killing of six people, including three children, saying such acts will be dealt with decisively.
“We are saying enough is enough…we shall not allow our people to die because of an act of lawlessness caused by water conflict and grazing rights,” said the Narok governor.
Mr Tunai and Mr Kinyanjui said they will “not sit and watch" as conflict escalates along their common border, terming the two counties as cosmopolitan.
“We have deliberated on the measures to take to end the conflict but our clarion call to the security agents is to, decisively, deal with criminals fueling the conflict,” added Mr Tunai.
Mr Kinyanjui said the killings were not being perpetrated by communities but criminal elements under the guise of representing a“certain community”.
“All those involved in the inter-border conflict are criminals and they will be dealt with as such,” he pointed out.
Governor Kinyanjui also asked community leaders from the areas to embrace the call for peace and ensure that there is lasting harmony in the areas.
The ethnic flare-ups in Njoro have been recurring, ignited by incidents like cattle thefts, which mutate quickly into full-blown ethnic clashes.
Mr Kinyanjui said they will now engage communities at the grassroots level in a bid to end the decades-long hostilities.
The Nakuru county devolved unit boss reminded leaders that they had a cardinal role to play in ending the inter border clashes, saying it was not a sole prerogative of security agents.
In the year 2020, at least six people were killed and scores of others injured after members of the two rival communities fought over ownership of land on the edges of the Eastern Mau Forest.
