Fourteen Suspects Arraigned After Weekend Clashes in Kisumu and Nyahururu

Fourteen suspects appeared in court on Monday after weekend violence in Kisumu and Nyahururu that killed two people, injured several others, torched nine motorcycles and damaged a police vehicle. Eight suspects were arrested in Kisumu and six in Nyahururu. AllAfrica reported that the National Police Service said the suspects had been charged with relevant offences linked to the unrest.

The service stated it would not tolerate violence or disruption of public peace and warned that those who choose chaos would face the full force of the law. Violence in Kisumu began after a confrontation between two opposing groups, according to the police. One person died, multiple people were injured, nine motorcycles were destroyed and a police vehicle was damaged.

In Nyahururu, six suspects were arrested after a group threw stones to disrupt a political rally, injuring several members of the public. Police said no gunshots were fired. Amateur videos showed young men carrying bows, arrows, clubs and other crude weapons in parts of Kisumu before clashes erupted near a church service attended by Siaya Governor James Orengo and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.

Sifuna said the images showed people brandishing weapons to attack a congregation in church and described the situation as the lowest the country had sunk. Orengo alleged the violence showed signs of political orchestration and compared it to Haiti's insecurity, saying the audacity of the attacks had the hand of the state in it.

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua accused individuals linked to the state of attacking a Democracy for Citizens Party public address truck in Ol Kalou over the weekend.