On Thursday, renewed turmoil erupted in Sondu, located along the Kisumu-Kericho border, due to an ongoing boundary dispute between the two counties.
As anti-government protests spilled over, two individuals lost their lives, while 15 others sustained injuries on Wednesday.
The conflict between Kisumu and Kericho counties resulted in a clash at Nyabondo mission hospital, where five people were admitted with gunshot wounds, three with critical stab wounds, and four others arrived with arrows lodged in various parts of their bodies.
According to a report on Citizen Digital, Collins Ouma, a resident of Nyabondo, shared his account of the situation, stating, “I wasn’t in Sondu since morning; I went there in the evening, thinking that the commotion had subsided.”
” While I was returning along the road, six people appeared, and one of them started throwing things. I fell down, pretending to be injured already. After a while, I stood up and began running, but then I was struck for the sixth time.” He explained.
At the Sigowet sub-county hospital, another individual succumbed to an arrow wound reportedly inflicted during the Sondu protests.
Three additional individuals are currently receiving treatment at the same medical facility after being attacked by a group of unruly youths.
Kericho County Commissioner Michael Lesimam confirmed the incident and expressed confidence in containing the escalating chaos.
He stated, “We are closely monitoring the situation today. We anticipate that it won’t be as severe as yesterday, but we have an adequate number of police officers on site, and we will provide them with support if necessary.”
Sondu market has been periodically affected by clashes over the years due to disagreements between Kisumu and Kericho counties regarding the demarcation of their boundary.