afrol News, 15 September - Thirty-One people have been reported killed in a cattle rustling battle between the herdsmen in the northern district in central Kenya.

The conflict is reported to have taken place between comunity members of Samburu and Pokot.

The Daily Nation reported Internal Security assistant minister Orwa Ojode confirming the killings and further saying that over 100 heads of cattle had been stolen during the early morning raid in the mainly pastoral area.

“I’ve been told that even children have been killed. I will give the correct picture once I land on the ground,” he told the newspaper.

The persistent drought in the region has largely been blamed for the conflicts where pastoralists have had to fight over greener patches and watering holes for their animals.

The Kenyan government has vowed to sweep the region of such incidents this time around, calling for supporting for the regional leaders.

The northern region of Kenya borders parts of Somalia, Southern Sudan and Southern Ethiopia, where the proliferation of small arms into the hands of the pastoralists has been seen as a major security crisis in the region.

Conflicts over pastural land have even crossed the borders creating serious diplomatic feuds between Kenya and its neighbours.