A long-standing land dispute in Kerio Valley, Elgeyo Marakwet County, turned deadly on Thursday evening after a man was fatally shot with an arrow during renewed tensions between two rival clans.
The incident occurred on April 9, 2026 in Koibatek Location, Metipso Sub-location, police said.
The deceased, identified as Hillary Kiprop, 32, a resident of Kiptumbur Location in Kumbulul Sub-location, Chesongoch Division, was reportedly attacked while uprooting maize on land linked to the Kachemei clan.
Earlier in the day, government surveyors, accompanied by local administrators including the Assistant County Commissioner of Tirap Division, chiefs, clan elders, and officers from Chesoi Police Station, had visited the disputed area to demarcate a boundary between the Kachemei and Kapchesum clans.
However, the exercise was suspended after disagreements emerged between the two sides, with authorities directing the parties to produce valid land ownership documents before the process could resume.
Hours later, tensions escalated when the deceased returned to the contested land, where he was struck by an arrow under unclear circumstances. He succumbed to his injuries shortly after the attack.
The body was moved to Kapsowar Mission Hospital mortuary as investigations into the killing began.
Authorities say tension remains high in the area, with security agencies closely monitoring the situation to prevent further violence.
And a 69-year-old man was brutally killed in West Pokot County after a mob accused him of practicing witchcraft in a disturbing incident that has shocked residents.
According to police in Pokot Central Sub-county, the incident occurred on April 9, 2026 in Marich area.
The victim, identified as John Pkerket Toywalima, was reportedly at his home when a group of about 20 men stormed the compound and forcibly took him away.
The attackers accused him of engaging in witchcraft before subjecting him to a severe beating.
Police say that even after relatives sought help and reported the matter, the mob escalated the violence and hanged the elderly man using a rope, killing him on the spot.
Officers from Marich Police Station, led by the Officer Commanding Station (OCS), and detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Pokot Central visited the scene and documented the incident.
However, the body could not be moved immediately due to poor visibility and the difficult mountainous terrain. Police indicated that the operation to retrieve the body would resume the following morning.
Authorities have condemned the killing and are expected to launch investigations to identify and arrest those involved.
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