Boy dies in juvenile clashes
By Nyamanoko Bwire
A 15- year- old boy, identified as Jeremiah Lomaiyan died last Sunday during
clashes involving children from two villages of Oldadai and Sasi, in Arumeru
district.
Confirming the incident the Arusha Regional Police Commander, James Kombe said a
huge rock hurled from one side of the fighting parties hit the boy on his head,
killing him instantly.
The deceased together with four other children from Oldadai village, were
reportedly swimming in a pond, when a gang of youths from Sasi village emerged
and started attacking them.
Commander Kombe said the boys from Oldadai got off from the pool and retaliated
by hitting back. Shortly afterwards a rocks-hurling battle followed and went on
for almost one hour from 4.00 p.m to 5.00 p.m. It was until the boy was killed
that the two juvenile armies called a cease-fire and took onto their heels.
Apparently, the youths from both Sasi and Oldadai villages had been in feud over
the ownership of the pond, each party claiming that the water body belonged to
their respective village and therefore, ‘aliens' from other communities were not
supposed to use it.
According to Police reports, it was therefore a long standing routine that
whenever the boys from either village found their foes bathing or swimming in
the pond, a battle would ensue. The fighting usually involves sticks, clubs or
rocks, in most cases resulting in injuries.
The youth who hurled the rock which killed Lomaiyan was not been identified but
police are still investigating the matter.
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