Tension high in Nandi after police kill two in land dispute clashes

The confrontation erupted on Monday morning when hundreds of armed youth stormed a disputed parcel of land in Kimwani, estimated to span several hundred acres.

The protesters demanded the eviction of families who have occupied the land for more than five decades, claiming it was illegally seized during the late President Daniel arap Moi’s administration.

According to locals, the land was first allocated to the now-defunct Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) before later being handed to senior security officials, sparking long-standing resentment in the community.

Police say officers from the Rapid Deployment Unit were forced to fire live rounds to disperse the protesters, who had engaged them in running battles for nearly half a day.

Two men, aged between 24 and 30, were fatally shot, while an unconfirmed number of others sustained gunshot wounds.

Nandi County Police Commander Thomas Ototo confirmed the incident, saying security agencies were working to restore calm. “Our priority is to secure the area and prevent further loss of life,” he told Citizen TV in a phone interview.

Despite the deadly confrontation, many residents have expressed a desire for a peaceful resolution. “We are asking our leaders to intervene.

This is our ancestral land, and we want justice, not bloodshed,” said Judy Chepchir, a resident of Chebonet.

Others echoed similar concerns, accusing successive governments of historical land injustices.

“Our land was taken away in the 1960s after independence. First it went to ADC, then it was later allocated to top military officers. We want it returned to us,” said Simon Terer, a resident of Kimwani.

“We deserve to live where we have always belonged, not in the barren hills where even the grass can’t feed our cows,” lamented Mathew Kiplelach, another resident.