Violence erupts in western Kenya ahead of opposition rally

Kenya President, William Ruto

Violence erupted in western Kenya early on Sunday, an AFP journalist said, ahead of an opposition rally where leaders had warned they could face attacks by armed thugs.

The country is due to hold national polls in just under a year, with President William Ruto seeking a second term.

Opposition politicians have warned of an increasingly hostile environment, and observers have voiced concerns about the use of armed thugs — known in Kenya as goons — to disrupt political gatherings.

The opposition Linda Mwananchi movement, a group seeking to galvanise dissatisfaction over Ruto’s tenure, plans to hold a rally with potential presidential aspirant Edwin Sifuna on Sunday in Homa Bay.

An AFP journalist described chaotic scenes early Sunday morning in the centre of town, with goons attacking passersby and snatching valuables.

Scores of men, some armed with sticks and machetes, were moving through streets, and some had lit tyres or constructed makeshift barricades on the main road.

They also said there was no police presence in the town, although officers on the outskirts were stopping people travelling into the centre.

The situation in town shortly before midday remained chaotic, according to the AFP journalist.

Images and video shared on social media, which AFP has not been able to independently verify, showed piles of rubble strewn over one of the town’s main thoroughfares, as well as burning tyres on the roads.

Ahead of the rally, Linda Mwananchi leaders had claimed to local media that goons were being mobilised to disrupt the political gathering.

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But Homa Bay county governor Gladys Wanga rejected the claims, saying that all political factions would be welcomed.

“We may hold different political positions, but those differences must be settled through ideas and the ballot, not confrontation or violence,” she said in a statement to local press on Thursday.

James Orengo, governor of Siaya County north of Homa Bay, said goons assaulted convoys en route to the rally.

“This is not the Kenya we want,” he told local press.

“Anarchy is the one prevailing,” he said, before adding: “the police have totally surrendered their authority to the goons”.

Kenyan police spokesperson Michael Muchiri issued a statement on Sunday offering a “reassurance of safety and security”, adding that 15 people had been arrested on Saturday.

“Preliminary investigations indicate that they are hired criminals who allegedly planned to disrupt political activities in the area,” he said.

The statement also warned politicians and organisers against “incitement, provocation, or any conduct likely to breach the peace”, and emphasised officers were “strictly non-partisan”.