At least seven people were killed and unknown number injured in ethnic clashes on Saturday night in Narok County of northwest Kenya, a government official confirmed on Sunday.

Deputy County Commissioner Mohammed Noor confirmed the clashes between Maasais and Kipsigis which erupted following a robbery with violence in Transmara West on Saturday night.

Noor said one of the victims was a Maasai businessman, Ben Koleini, who was killed by unknown gunmen while on his way home on in Esoit.

"Koleini was ambushed as he drove home in his taxi by unknown people," he said, adding that police officers have launched investigations into the incident.

Local police said they are pursuing the attacks who brutally murdered the businessman on Saturday night in what appears to be retaliatory violence targeting the Kipsigis by Maasais.

"Koleini, 40, an M-pesa businessman within Esoit Trading Center was gunned down by unknown gangsters during an armed robbery around 9.00 pm on Saturday night," the police officer who declined to be named said.

He said the incident triggered a revenge attack that led to the death of 39 year-old man (Kipsigis) who was dragged from his house by unknown people believed to be Maasai and hacked to death.

The said the Maasais accused their Kipsisgi neighbors of being behind the killing and that is when they clashed and killed five people whose bodies were discovered in the forest on Sunday morning.

"This morning, five more bodies were found having been hacked to death with machetes in Pisangi area within Esoit Location," the officer said. Those killed are mostly charcoal traders who were ambushed in the area.

The police officers are meanwhile engaged in the evacuation of vulnerable survivors and escorting them to safety at Kilgoris.

source: xinhua