Property worth unknown value destroyed in Homa Bay violence

One of the Tuk tuk damaged during the violence in Homa Bay town.

A number of motorcycles and property worth unknown value were damaged in Homa Bay Town when two groups of youth clashed on Thursday evening.

The youth fought at Garage Road where they hurled stones at each other.

The youth clashed after one group attempted to block another one from accessing Governor Gladys Wanga who held a meeting with mechanics at Garage Road.

The violence began shortly after Governor Wanga concluded her meeting with the mechanics. Wanga had held a meeting with the mechanics to discuss how she is going to fulfill her campaign pledges which included improvement of sanitation in the garage and creating enough space for the mechanics to operate.

The confrontation led to the destruction of motorcycles and property in some shops in the area.

During the conflict, the youth hurled stones and wooden clubs which ended up destroying some buildings and Tuk Tuk.

It forced people who were seeking various services at Garage Road to scamper for their safety, leaving the area a no-go zone for the warring groups.

The tension lasted for more than 45 minutes. Police intervened before the tension ended.

The civil society in Homa Bay County condemned the violence, saying it led to unnecessary damages.

Homa Bay Bunge La Wenye Nchi Head Walter Opiyo told residents to avoid violence.

"I want Homa Bay residents to embrace peace and avoid violent confrontation. We want peace all the time and even our demonstrations should be conducted peacefully," Opiyo said.

Homa Bay County Police Commander Hassan Barua said he had to send his officers to quell the tension.

"We have sent our officers to the scene to quell the tension and prevent damage of property. Let our youth embrace peace," Barua said.