Eight suspects have been arrested following violent clashes between rival groups of youths in Kisumu's Milimani area that left two people dead and caused widespread destruction of property.
In a statement on Monday, July 13, Kisumu Governor Anyang' Nyong'o described the clashes as unacceptable and said they had claimed the lives of two young men while leaving a trail of destruction.
"Yesterday, in the Milimani area, we witnessed a scene that has no place in our county: two organised groups of youth set against each other, resulting in the deaths of two young men. Property was destroyed, including a motor vehicle and no fewer than nine motorcycles and the peace of the neighbourhood was shattered," he wrote.
Nyong'o said the County Security Authority had met following the incident and confirmed that arrests had already been made, with the legal process now underway.
"As Co-Chair of the County Security Authority alongside County Commissioner Mohammed Ramadhan Mwabudzo, we met and provide this update: Eight suspects are already in custody and the judicial process is underway," he added.
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Nyong’o further revealed that security agencies had stepped up operations across Kisumu County, leading to the arrest of hundreds of suspects as investigations into various criminal activities continue.
"Since our last briefing to the media on security, two hundred suspects have been apprehended across Kisumu County and investigations into their involvement in criminal activities are ongoing. They will, in due course, be arraigned in court," he further said.
Nyong'o lamented that some young people were allowing themselves to be used to commit acts of violence despite efforts by the county government to attract investment and create employment opportunities.
"We spend our nights negotiating with investors, creating the conditions for employment and enterprise, yet some among our youth allow themselves to be bought for a pittance to burn, intimidate, and destroy the very future we are trying to construct for them. It is a betrayal not only of themselves but of every honest citizen who gets up each morning to earn a living," he noted.
Nyong'o also issued a warning to individuals financing and organising violent activities, saying law enforcement agencies would hold them accountable.
"To those who finance and orchestrate this violence: you are not invisible. He who rides a tiger eventually discovers that the greatest danger lies not in mounting it but in trying to dismount. Your time is coming," he further said.
Nyong’o urged the young people to reject violence and instead embrace lawful means of earning a living, while assuring residents that the county government remains committed to maintaining peace and public safety.
"To our young people: the path of a hired thug leads nowhere, but the path of lawful work, of patience, of building something durable secures a future.
"Kisumu will remain a county where business thrives, where mothers walk to market without fear, and where public order is not a favour we request but a condition we enforce," he concluded.
Meanwhile, Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya has asked the clergy to pray for the country ahead of the August 2027 General Election.
Speaking during a church service on Sunday, July 12, she claimed that as the Defence Boss, she has been privy to a lot of things that the ordinary citizen has not.
Tuya urged Kenyans not to underestimate the peace witnessed across the country, and asked them to look at what was happening in some of Kenya's neighbouring states.
"We ask that you pray for our country. I have seen so many things that the citizens don't; we are blessed as a country.
"If you look at some of our neighbouring countries, they have political and economic instability, but we do not. Sometimes it feels like Kenyans do not appreciate that," she stated.
Tuya also responded to recent verbal attacks by a local politician.
She stated that while she was not irked by insults hurled at her, she would not entertain attacks on the people of Narok County or efforts to divide the people.
"You can insult me on BBC or CNN, but we will not allow you to divide the people of Narok and Kenya on tribal lines. We will not stand by and watch people divide our country," she warned.
