Trans Mara curfew as tribal violence escalates, thousands displaced

By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter

Kenya, Decemebr 20 2025 - The National Police Service (NPS) has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in parts of Trans Mara South and West, Narok County, after days of escalating tribal clashes that have left several people dead, hundreds of homes destroyed and more than 1,800 residents displaced.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat, speaking on Saturday, said the curfew, effective from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. each day, covers multiple volatile areas including Oldonyo-Orok, Sitete, Ololoma, Kapkeres, Lolgorian Town and Angata Barakoi, where clashes between Maasai (Siria) and Kipsigis communities have been most intense.

“The regions are now considered disturbed areas and a special operation is ongoing to restore calm,” DIG Lagat said, warning those in possession of illegal firearms to surrender them within 72 hours or face appropriate action. The curfew follows a surge in violence that has forced tens of families to seek refuge in schools, dispensaries and open fields after their homes were torched and food stores destroyed.

The Kenya Red Cross Society confirmed that among the displaced, children, women and persons with disabilities are the most affected, with relief teams continuing to assess needs on the ground. According to the humanitarian agency, “Children, women, and persons with disabilities are the most affected, with food stores destroyed by fire.”

Local authorities say the curfew and heightened deployment of security personnel are critical to breaking cycles of retaliation and preventing further casualties amid deep-rooted disputes over land ownership and resource access in the Trans Mara region.

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The violence in Angata Barikoi and surrounding wards has been notably deadly in recent weeks. Separate official figures and local reports have linked clashes to both cultural tensions and long- standing contested land claims between the communities.

The unrest has also drawn warnings from senior police leadership, with DIG Lagat urging both communities to co-exist peacefully and calling out political actors and financiers he said are inciting the clashes, promising action against those believed to be fuelling the conflict.

Additional national figures, including KANU National Chairman Gideon Moi, have publicly called for dialogue, mediation and respect for the rule of law as the only sustainable path to end the violence, emphasising the need to resolve grievances through community engagement rather than retaliation.

The curfew order, one of the strongest security measures to date in the Narok conflict, aims to reduce night-time movement and potential clashes, restore order and give humanitarian organisations safe access to support displaced families with shelter, food and medical care.