Three feared dead, 7 police officers injured as Maasai herders protest on Narok-Kisii highway

Horrifying scenes, running battles and deadly clashes characterised the day-long standoff between police officers and the protesting Maasai herders in Suswa, Narok County.

The ensuing melee resulted in a fatal shooting, with at least three individuals feared dead as security forces attempted to disperse the agitated crowd.

The Maasai youth and the herders, armed with clubs and machetes, engaged in running battles with the police, leaving one officer critically injured after being hacked and beaten to near death. Several others sustained injuries.

The Friday chaos erupted after a vehicle traveling towards Narok town struck and killed livestock on Thursday night.

The situation escalated further when police attempted to remove the carcasses from the road on Friday morning, triggering violent resistance from residents who returned the dead animals to the highway, leading to the clashes.

Sankok ole Lemwesi said: “Tumesema hatufungui hii barabara, kondoo wetu arubaini polisi walilipwa kwenda kupelekea kondoo wetu fisi.”

The unrest brought transport along the Narok-Kisii road to a standstill for most of the day, leaving travellers stranded.

Motorist David Okong’o said: “Mbona mbuzi inagongwa tunagoma? Saa hii tumekwama na niko na watu wanapanda ndege hapa wamekosa flight.”

Meanwhile, a high-level security operation has been launched to track down those responsible for the attack and recover the stolen firearm.