Police chopper crash-lands in Meru

At least six people were injured after a police chopper carrying a security team crash-landed in Kaithe, Meru on Saturday morning.

Meru police commander Patrick Lumumba said the team was heading to Marsabit for a security meeting.

The chopper crashed-landed on a banana plantation narrowly missing two houses.

Residents who spoke to the Nation said they saw the chopper circling the area for about 15 minutes before it crashed.

Locals helped remove the passengers from the chopper.The injured passengers were rushed to Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital.

In the recent past, regional security teams and leaders have been trying to restore peace in Badan Arero after a group of people in Marsabit crossed into Wajir and stole more than 70 herds of cattle sparking clashes between two communities.

At least four people were killed in clashes Monday, authorities said.

Officials had planned a meeting Saturday seeking to reconcile the feuding communities and the stolen cattle were to be returned to the owners in the presence of regional security officers, local leaders and community elders.

Saturday’s crash evokes memories of April 10, 2006 when a military cargo plane carrying a high-level Kenyan delegation on a peace mission crashed in Marsabit town.

Fourteen including six MPs were killed when a military helicopter they were travelling in went down in bad weather.

For many year now, peace in Marsabit has been elusive due to a mix of multiple triggers including political incitement and the hunt for pasture and water.