Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka has condemned recent attacks reported in parts of Kitui County, warning that rising cycles of revenge killings between neighbouring communities in eastern Kenya could lead to wider insecurity if not urgently contained.
Speaking on Thursday during a press briefing, Kalonzo said he had received reports of the incidents while on a coastal tour, noting that innocent lives were lost in what he described as a growing pattern of retaliation linked to earlier killings in the region.
“The attack was dastardly, cowardly. Innocent were killed. One of them is actually a daughter to my immediate neighbor… some of them are even my distant relatives,” he said, adding that the latest violence appeared to be tied to earlier deaths that had already raised tension in the area.
Reports from security agencies indicate that the violence in Tseikuru area of Kitui County is part of a wider pattern of inter-communal attacks that have been affecting parts of the region. Armed attackers are said to have stormed the area during what authorities believe was a cycle of retaliatory violence, leaving several people dead and triggering fear in nearby villages.
Security teams have since stepped up patrols in Tseikuru and surrounding areas as police continue to pursue suspects linked to the killings. Authorities say the goal is to restore calm and prevent fresh revenge attacks as investigations continue.
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Kalonzo warned that if the situation continues unchecked, it could damage long-standing relations between communities in Kitui, Garissa, Wajir and Mandera counties, where tensions have at times flared over similar incidents.
“Retaliatory attacks must stop immediately. Every act of revenge adds another name to the list of the dead, a list that has no one who has ever come back from,” he said.
He also urged security agencies to move with speed and ensure those responsible are arrested, saying delays in action were fueling anger and mistrust among residents.
“By now, the police should have apprehended them,” he said, referring to those behind the recent killings.
At the same time, the opposition leader called for dialogue between communities and local leadership, saying elders and governors should take a leading role in calming tensions before the situation worsens further.
“What I also recommend immediately is Wazee wakutane haraka,” he said, urging elders to quickly step in and lead reconciliation efforts.
Authorities have maintained that security operations are ongoing, with additional deployments aimed at stabilising the area and preventing further attacks as investigations continue.