Govt installs security restrictions in Ngorongoro

Loliondo

Authorities in Arusha yesterday banned public meetings, rallies and other gatherings in the Loliondo division of Ngorongoro District.

 

This follows reports of fire-arms and other dangerous weapons being infiltrated into the border area, according to the Ngorongoro District Commissioner, Hashim Mgandilwa.

 

He said the reason for the move was to cool down the situation in the country’s sensitive area.

 

He affirmed that security in the wilderness of Ngorongoro has been intensified amid fears that there were some villagers who planned to attack others.

 

“Ngorongoro is a very sensitive district, and a place like Loliondo is similar to a country within a country,” the DC said.

He explained that Kirtalo villagers were out to wage war with neighboring Oloipiri villagers over land conflicts.

 

He said strangers, probably aliens. were taking advantage of the porous border to slip into Loliondo consignments of military weapons.

However, DC Mgandilwa, who was accompanied by the Head of Intelligence, Issa Ng’itu, pointed out that there were other matters behind. 

 

He singled them as including invasion of aliens from neighboring Kenya, tribal animosity and incitement from various groups in the area.

 

“Two days ago we went to stop a tribal fight between two villages, and on Monday morning fresh reports of a brewing war were received at my desk. That is why we had to declare a ‘state of emergency’,” he asserted.

 

So far eleven Kenyans, allegedly living and working in Loliondo, have been arrested and charged in a law court. And as we went to press they were behind bars.

 

In retrospect, border animosity between Tanzania and Kenya has  been brewing up in Loliondo for some time.

 Last week local traders from the area were barred from taking their cattle and other wares to sell on the Kenya side of the border.