Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga has cautioned individuals financing and organising political violence to stop the practice following unrest in Homa Bay Town after the arrest of Kassim Abdi Sebo.
In a statement issued on Friday, October 9, Ruth said police apprehended Sebo on Thursday night, weeks after violence disrupted a Linda Mwananchi rally held in Homa Bay County in August.
She noted that Sebo had been described by police as a “chief goon” in connection with the earlier incident.
According to Ruth, the arrest was followed by chaos in Homa Bay Town’s central business district, where Sebo’s alleged associates reportedly vandalised businesses, looted property and set tyres alight on roads.
She criticised the destruction of property and public infrastructure, arguing that such incidents undermined the region’s development efforts.
“Immediately after he was arrested, his alleged lieutenants created anarchy within Homa Bay Town’s central business district, breaking into businesses and looting, burning tyres on the tarmac, the very development all of us are saying we need,” she said.
Ruth warned that individuals who finance and organise groups involved in political violence risk creating a situation that could eventually become difficult to contain.
She used a metaphor to caution those supporting such groups, saying the consequences could eventually extend beyond those initially targeted.
“This is what happens when you feed a dragon. Now there are consequences when you touch ‘chief goons’. To the financiers and organisers of goonism, stop feeding the dragon. It is growing, and soon even the government will fail to slay it,” she added.
Protests Follow Sebo’s Arrest
Protests broke out in Homa Bay after detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrested Sebo, who is accused of involvement in the violence that occurred during the Linda Mwananchi rally.
He was subsequently charged with robbery with violence.
The detectives also arrested seven other suspects who were allegedly obstructing them during the operation. They were identified as Achiando Victor Odhiambo, Isaac Masika Muliro, Oyege Moses Geoffrey, Geoffrey Njore, Odhiambo Wesley Arnold, Joseph Kobila and Alfred Nyagiro Aliwa.
Following the arrests, angry youths reportedly lit bonfires and barricaded roads, demanding the immediate release of Sebo and the other suspects.
Also Read: Sifuna Rules Out Resigning as Nairobi Senator Ahead of 2027 Elections
The unrest continued into Friday morning, disrupting transport services as matatu operators suspended operations and businesses shut their doors amid heightened tension.
Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo also expressed concern over the situation, describing the developments in Homa Bay as distressing.
“What is going on in Homabay is sad. It was planted. It took root. It germinated. It is producing fruit. Sad by a lot. Lit by a lot,” she wrote.
Earlier Violence at Linda Mwananchi Rally
The latest developments follow violent incidents during a Linda Mwananchi rally in Homa Bay County on Sunday, August 16.
In a statement issued after the incident, the National Police Service (NPS) reported that five police vehicles had been damaged, journalists attacked and a police officer killed.
Police also announced the arrest of 37 suspects in connection with the violence, saying they were found in possession of crude weapons, including machetes, knives, metal rods, batons, ropes, rungus and torches.
The service maintained that the suspects would be processed in accordance with the law.
However, Linda Mwananchi leaders disputed the police account, alleging that their leaders and supporters had been subjected to an organised campaign of violence and intimidation during their tour of the county.
The movement claimed the incidents were not spontaneous but part of a coordinated operation allegedly carried out with the knowledge and involvement of some police officers.
It further alleged that officers who were expected to protect the group appeared to be working alongside individuals attacking its convoy.
“Rather than standing between citizens and those perpetrating violence, some officers appeared to facilitate the disruption and intimidation of our supporters,” the movement stated.
The competing accounts have added to tensions surrounding the Homa Bay incidents, with the latest protests following the arrest of Sebo and the other suspects.