170 Suspected Goons Arrested in Trans Nzoia After Chaos in Kitale

Police in Trans Nzoia County have arrested 170 suspected goons following violent chaos that broke out in Kitale town last Saturday.

The suspects are linked to an incident where a group of alleged hired goons disrupted a youth voter registration exercise under the Niko Kadi initiative. The disturbance caused fear among residents and temporarily affected business activities in the town.

According to police, the arrests were made during a major security operation launched after the incident. Officers also recovered more than 200 mobile phones and several weapons during the crackdown.

Trans Nzoia County Police Commander Riko Ngare said the operation is still ongoing and more arrests are expected.

“We launched an operation to track down all those involved in disrupting security in Kitale. So far, 170 suspects have been arrested, and some have already been taken to court,” he said.

Police further revealed that some of those arrested are believed to be hardcore criminals, including individuals who had escaped from prison.

The county commander warned that the crackdown will continue until everyone involved is brought to justice.

“We have a list of suspects, and we are continuing with the arrests. No one will be left out,” Ngare added.

Meanwhile, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen raised concerns over the growing use of youth gangs by politicians.

Speaking in Embakasi during a visit to police recruits, Murkomen accused some political leaders of recruiting young people to cause unrest and insecurity.

“Some politicians have become a major security threat by using young people as goons and gangs to create chaos,” Murkomen said.

He noted that the rising cases of gang-related violence have forced the National Police Service to revise its training curriculum.

The new training is expected to help officers handle crowd control, public order, and emerging security threats more effectively.

“The police service is retooling and reskilling officers to improve crowd control and strengthen security management,” he added.

Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja also reminded officers to carry out their duties within the law and respect human rights.

“Officers must always respect the law and protect the rights of all citizens,” Kanja said.

The latest arrests come as security agencies continue efforts to restore peace and maintain order in Kitale and other affected areas.

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