40 arrested in Homa Bay goon crackdown

• Koilem says they have recovered several stolen items and crude weapons from the suspects.

A section of the dusty road used by the Linda Mwananchi faction's convoy after being diverted from the main roads in Homa Bay county on August 16, 2026.

Police in Homa Bay have so far arrested 40 suspected goons who staged a protest in Homa Bay Town on Thursday night and looted several business premises when Kassim Abdi was arrested.

Following the arrest of Abdi and seven other members of his team, police and Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers have been conducting day and night raids in various estates in Homa Bay Town to apprehend a group of youths who are accused of looting and damaging property on Thursday night.

Homa Bay County police commander Lawrence Koilem says the 40 suspects were arrested between Friday and Sunday in the ongoing police operation to restore sanity in Homa Bay Town.

Koilem says the 40 are among a group of goons who staged a protest in Homa Bay Town when Abdi was arrested, however. They turned the protest in looting businesses and damaging property

During the Thursday Night protests, the said youths broke into several business premises within Homa Bay Town where they looted goods worth millions of shillings.

Koilem says they have recovered several stolen items and crude weapons from the suspects.

The suspects are being held at Homa Bay County police station and are expected to be arraigned in court on Monday.

The county police commander says the operation will continue for the next one week and will be extended to other towns within the county.

Abdi was arrested after links to violence witnessed in Homa Bay when the Linda Mwananchi faction hosted a political rally on August 16, 2026.