The clashes in western Kenya are between two tribes, the Masai and the Kisii. They have long fought over cattle but in recent weeks the violence has escalated with up to 50 people dying; the victims stoned, knifed or shot with arrows and mutilated.

The intervention of the police has so far only inflamed the situation. The latest incident in which two policemen and at least two civilians died came one day after President Moi declared the area to be a special security zone.

One policeman who was involved in the incident admitted that police had opened fire on a group of Kisiis after firing in the air had failed to disperse them. It appears the security forces, which included special paramilitary police, had been well outnumbered.

The policeman was himself recovering in a local hospital with an arrow wound in his leg and deep cuts on his back. Although the feuding between the Kisii and the Masai is longstanding, many people in the area believe the animosity has been manipulated for political ends.