Four arrested in Laikipia violence

Meanwhile, police arrested four people in Laikipia district in connection with a recent spate of violence in the area. The area's District Commissioner William Kurumei told journalists last week he was confident that all suspects involved in two months of killings "will be brought to book". The Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (CJPC) confirmed to IRIN on Wednesday that the government had reinforced security measures and transferred officers who had been blamed for "laxity". CJPC Programme Officer Simon Wanjohi said the situation had calmed down and there were no reports of recent killings. "We have had reports of people with arms but we have not verified these," he said. "We are still monitoring the situation." Reasons for the violence are unclear. It was apparently sparked by a highway robbery in which the assailants ambushed a passenger vehicle and killed several people. "But these killings moved from the highway to the interior and some victims were very poor people," he said. Last week, the government ordered nomadic tribesmen from Samburu and Isiolo who had moved into Laikipia district to return with their cattle to their places of origin as they were "creating tension".