Fierce clashes broke out on the morning of October 27, 2025, in Rombo area of Loitokitok Sub-county, Kajiado County, between two neighbouring communities living along the Kajiado–Taita Taveta border. The renewed conflict left five people injured and more than 29 houses burnt, reigniting a long-standing dispute that local leaders had previously declared resolved.
According to reports from the area, groups of residents armed with crude weapons engaged in intense fighting for morethan three hours before calm was restored. The violence displaced dozens of families, with women and children fleeing to safer areas. Several motorcycles were also torched in the chaos and school-going children sitting for ongoing national examinations were left stranded after their learning materials and documents were destroyed in the violence.
The latest flare-up has revived tensions that date back several decades, centering on contested sections of Rombo Group Ranch along the Kajiado–Taita Taveta boundary. In 2020, the same area was the focus of a major reconciliation effort led by Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku and then Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja.
At the time, the two governors announced that they had resolved a 50-year-old boundary dispute that had seen residents from Taita Taveta occupy over 2,000 acres of land belonging to members of Rombo Group Ranch. A 22-member technical committee was established to oversee the agreement, which was celebrated as a landmark achievement for peace and stability in the region.
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During the 2020 signing of the agreement, Governor Lenku described the event as a breakthrough in inter-county peace efforts, saying it was a victory over endless land battles and a symbol of unity between the two communities. His counterpart, Governor Samboja, commended both county teams and urged residents to respect the new boundary agreement.
The deal, witnessed by senior county and national government officials, was also supposed to address encroachment issues and ensure that rightful owners of Rombo Group Ranch regained their land. Both governors had pledged to host a joint ceremony to mark the historic resolution, signaling a new era of harmony between the two counties.
However, today’s deadly clashes reveal that deep-seated mistrust and unresolved land grievances continue to threaten peace along the border. Local leaders and security agencies are now being urged to intervene urgently to restore calm and prevent further loss of lives and property.
The situation remains tense in Rombo as displaced residents seek shelter in nearby villages, and authorities work to contain the violence before it spreads further into neighboring areas.
By Benedict Aoya
