Two families on Saturday clashed in Athi River over a land row prompting to intervention of police officers from Athi River Police Station.
The clash occurred at around 9.30pm in the morning when Ann Meinganjo's family allegedly forcefully accessed a disputed land at Kwa Mang'eli Slum within Athi River, Machakos County.
The second family belonging to Gideon Makau, which has been using the land for farming over the years attacked the family to deny them access arguing it belongs to them.
Makau who addressed press at the scene few minutes after the situation calmed down said the other family claimed the land in question had been sold to it by certain two local investors from the region.
"Meinganjo's family claims this land had been sold two her by two local individuals well known to us, the two do not even a single inch of land here," said Makau.
Makau said that his family attacked the other because it had forcefully gained access to the one and a half acre of land and was destroying crops to pave way for erection of houses.
He said his family rightfully owns the land arguing he inherited it from his parents in 1993 and obtained an allotment letter as a legal land ownership document in the year 2014 from Mavoko Municipal Council.
"I own this land because I was born here and it was given to me by my parents in 1993 as my inheritance. I have since been using it for farming.
Meinganjo's family sought assistance from the area's police station where it was assigned two regular police officers to keep vigil as construction of houses continue.
Makau said his vegetables valued at Sh 40,000 had been destroyed in the process claiming he reported the matter to the same police station but was told the construction was under orders of the area OCS.
Meinganjo on her part told the reporter that she did not need interference from external forces since she was busy doing her businesses on her legally owned land.
The area police boss Kizito Mutoro, said his office was well informed of the incidence.
He said the two police officers had been assigned to Meinganganjo's family to offer security because the land rightfully belongs to it.
Mutoro said the other family had no relevant legal documents to prove ownership of the land, but Meinganjo's had proven its ownership by producing credible documents.
Makau's family claimed the other family was colluding with the police to intimidate and frustrate it by destroying its property alongside grabbing its land.
It is now calling on the state's intervention through relevant bodies to ensure that justice prevails,it needs its destroyed vegetables compensated for as the land dispute awaits solution through legal procedure and processes.