Five people are feared dead in a fight between farmers and an auctioneer in Miwani over court eviction order
The auctioneer had allegedly hired youths from Kondele in Kisumu to go and evict families that have been staying in the disputed land belonging to the Miwani sugar factory as squatters.
The land is claimed by both Miwani and Kibos sugar factory, a privately owned mill in Kisumu.
Recently, the government had ordered that the 10,000 hectares of land be taken and used as a factor of production by being developed into a special economic zone.
But Kibos challenged the move in court and won. They claimed that the land belongs to them. Yesterday, Regional police boss John Karanja denied that five had died.
He claimed so far they had only confirmed two casualties. An investigation is still on and anti-riot police have been deployed in the area to quell tension.
He asked the commander Kimathi to arrest the auctioneer for Reportedly going with goons to carry out forceful eviction without the police.
Tension remains flaring as the farmers and squatters keep vigil. They blocked Kibos tractors yesterday from accessing cane farms in the area to haul cane to the factory until the dispute is resolved amicably.
