Two youths have been killed while more than 200 suspects have been arrested following a fresh wave of gang-related violence in Kisumu County, prompting county leaders and security agencies to intensify efforts to dismantle criminal networks operating in the region.
The deadly clashes erupted on Sunday, July 12, in Kisumu’s Milimani area after rival groups of youths reportedly engaged in violent confrontations that left two people dead and several others injured.
During the chaos, a motor vehicle and at least nine motorcycles were set ablaze, causing panic among residents and disrupting normal activities.
Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o, who addressed the media alongside Kisumu County Commissioner Mohammed Ramadhan Mwabudzo as co-chairs of the County Security Authority, confirmed that eight suspects linked directly to the Milimani violence had already been arrested and would face court proceedings as investigations continue.
Beyond the arrests connected to Sunday’s violence, Nyong’o disclosed that security operations conducted across Kisumu County since the authority’s previous security briefing had resulted in the arrest of more than 200 suspects believed to be involved in various criminal activities.
He said investigations were ongoing before the suspects are formally arraigned in court.
The governor also issued a strong warning to individuals accused of financing and organising criminal gangs, saying authorities were closing in on them.
“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,” Nyong’o warned.
Nyong’o further lamented that while the county government was working to attract investors and create employment opportunities for young people, some youths were allowing themselves to be used by politicians and criminal financiers for violence.
“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,” the governor said.
He urged young people to reject recruitment into criminal gangs, arguing that genuine employment and lawful opportunities offered a more secure future than acting as hired goons.
According to County Commissioner Mwabudzo, security agencies had received intelligence that youths were being mobilised before the violence erupted.
Officers were deployed early, a move that he said prevented an even bigger tragedy.
“Our intelligence was timely and accurate. The youths started gathering at around 9am, and by around 11am, we had already deployed security officers to secure the area,” he said, adding that authorities initially believed the gathering was an ordinary church service before discovering it had turned into a fundraising event that attracted rival groups.
Mwabudzo revealed that investigations indicate many of the youths had allegedly been assembled at Victoria Park before being armed with crude weapons, including pangas and jembe handles, and dispatched to participate in the violence.
Detectives are now analysing videos circulating on social media to identify additional suspects and those who coordinated the attacks.
The latest clashes come amid growing concern over the resurgence of organised criminal gangs in Kisumu.
In recent months, county leaders have repeatedly raised alarm over groups accused of carrying out attacks, intimidating residents and disrupting public events.
Governor Nyong’o has previously vowed to work closely with security agencies to dismantle the criminal networks and restore public confidence in the county’s security.
Authorities have maintained that those found sponsoring, financing or participating in organised violence will face the full force of the law as investigations continue into Sunday’s deadly clashes.
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