Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has deployed a contingent of specialist security personnel to contain the escalation of violent crime in Sondu Town and its environs.
In a statement on Thursday, the CS indicated that the move was necessitated by the loss of lives as well as the destruction of property.
"The special deployment is to be supervised jointly by the Rift Valley and Nyanza regional security teams with firm instructions to ensure immediate resumption of normalcy and the arrest and prosecution of each and every perpetrator of the horrific crimes that have been committed against the people of Sondu Town and its environs," read the statement in part.
In response, the CS explained that police bosses who were deployed in the region were transferred as investigations into their conduct kicked off.
"In the meantime, it has been decided to transfer all local security heads on both sides of the border and other security and public officers whose want of effectiveness, impartiality and/or competence is deemed to have resulted in the success of the criminals," he added.
The deployment came a few hours after Azimio la Umoja, which is led by Raila Odinga, laid the blame squarely on leaders allied to the ruling coalition.
The skirmishes that occurred in the border town, which straddles Kisumu and Kericho counties, has since claimed seven lives.
"Big names are behind this violence. They include leaders and politicians in neighbouring counties and in the national government," the statement read in part.
Top of the list, according to Azimio, is Kericho Governor Dr Eric Mutai.
"The violence currently going on in Sondu is not an ordinary disagreement between villagers," added the statement.
"We are convinced this violence is sponsored by local politicians who have set their claim on parts of Kisumu County during the boundary review that is coming soon."
The clash, which broke out on Tuesday night, pitted two communities against each other.
In his statement, Kindiki also maintained that measures to contain the situation and suppress further crime will be announced on Friday after a review of the efficacy of the measures he has put in place.
