Police in Kenya say at least eight people have been killed in the latest tribal unrest to hit the Tana River region.

Raiders from the Pokomo community attacked an Orma community village with guns and machetes before dawn Wednesday. Initial reports say six Orma and two Pokomo were killed. Another nine people were injured.

Intermittent fighting between the groups has killed more than 130 people since August.

The two groups have been at odds for years over land and water rights. The Pokomo are farmers, while the Orma raise cattle.

But the violence has raised fears that local politicians have deepened the rift, in hopes of benefiting in Kenya's March 4 elections.

Kenya was gripped by weeks of riots and ethnic fighting after the disputed 2007 presidential poll. The violence in early 2008 killed more than 1,100 people.