Top police commanders visited parts of the troubled Tana River County to assess the security situation there amid deadly inter-clan clashes that have claimed 22 lives.
The officers led by Deputy Inspectors General of Police Eliud Lagat (Kenya Police Service) and Gilbert Masengeli (Administration Police Service) also toured parts of Lamu County on Thursday.
They said their visit to the area was motivated by the recent violence witnessed in Tana River County, which has resulted in displacement of persons and loss of lives.
They visited Anole Primary School and briefed the local community members on measures the government has taken to restore normalcy and ensure that learning activities are uninterrupted.
They called on the locals to work together with security teams to ensure that peace is fully restored.
They later stopped at Nanighi and ordered the immediate deployment of General Service Unit (GSU) officers to enhance security in learning institutions as students prepare for the upcoming national exams.
Later, the DIGs held a peace meeting with local elders and National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) at the Bura Irrigation Centre, where they commended them for their support of the multi-agency efforts to restore peace in the area.
At Manda Forward Operating Base (FOB), the DIGs were briefed on operations geared towards addressing terrorism in the country.
Top police commanders from the region were present during the visit.
Parts of Lamu are facing terror threats and the visit was meant to boost the morale of police on the ground in their operations.
In Tana River, the fighting between communities began nearly a week ago in the Anole area before spreading to other villages, including Nanighi officials say.
Local leaders are being probed over the clashes.
Hundreds of residents from these villages have fled their homes in search of safety and refuge.
It is believed that the conflict started after the Tana River County government offered land to resettle flood victims who had been living along the banks of the Tana River.
The flood victims were moved to an area along the Garissa-Hola road, a move that angered the area's native pastoralist community, which claimed the area was their grazing land and watering points.
The skirmishes that have escalated to several villages started weeks ago have seen the warring communities use firearms, bows, and arrows with security officers struggling to contain them.
The pastoralists, who traditionally lived with their animals, had to reject plans to resettle farmers in the area by the county government, terming the move as a planned grabbing of their land.
The pastoralists claim ownership of land designed for resettlement by the river to the farmers displaced by the floods after River Tana burst its banks during the recent long rains.