Tension as man is shot dead at disputed Muthera farm in Njoro

Tensions are high at the controversial Muthera farm after a man identified as David Cheruiyot was shot dead on March 25 in Njoro Sub-County.

The 43-year-old was shot after two rival groups clashed over ownership of the disputed piece of land.

According to Njoro Sub-County Deputy Commissioner, Mokin Ptangu'ny, the two conflicting groups got into a fight, which quickly escalated into a shooting.

“The two individuals are part of young men who claim to provide security for both pieces of land. However, as the government, we are treating them as militia groups, and we promise to crack the whip and wipe them out,” he says.

He also points out that this highly contested piece of land has been a constant issue for the security committee in the area.

“We want to ask all those involved to remain calm. There should not be further speculation over what happened. The government has taken over. What occurred is a consequence of the activities of the young men who were engaged to provide security, despite the fact that it is not their responsibility to do so. Everyone involved in the incident will be arrested and prosecuted,” he sternly adds.

One of the major questions raised was who fired the fatal shot.

The Deputy Commissioner mentioned that the police are investigating to determine who exactly pulled the trigger and whether the individual is a licensed gun holder.

Despite the earlier incident, some individuals were still farming on the property, unaware that they were on a crime scene. They were reprimanded by the police and instructed to vacate the premises.

The Njoro Sub-County Police Commander, David Apima, stated that officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have taken over the matter and assured the public that the family of the deceased would receive justice.

The body of the deceased was moved to the Egerton University mortuary.

According to an article on Nation. Africa dated January 31, 2016 , the controversial piece of land belongs to the family of Mbiyu Koinange but members of the Maasai community claim that this is their ancestral land and accuse some powerful individuals within President Jomo Kenyatta's administration of grabbing it.

There has been a court case that has been ongoing for over three decades.

David Cheruiyot is a casualty in the long fued. In 2016 another scuffle ensued after herders and farmers clashed in the 4,926 acre farm.