Rowdy youths raid Homa Bay hotel, destroy and steal property ahead of Linda Mwananchi rally

Homa Bay, Kenya — About 8 p.m. on Saturday night, a group of youths allegedly stormed the Homa Bay Tourist Hotel, causing damage and theft of unknown monetary value as political tensions rose in anticipation of a forthcoming Linda Mwananchi rally. According to a police incident report, the hotel manager alerted authorities at 10:15 p.m. Police, along with detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and Crime Scene Investigation personnel, responded to the hotel situated in Homa Bay Pier Lake, roughly two kilometres west of the station.

Upon arrival, officers discovered that all hotel stationery, accessories, and furnishings had been destroyed and taken. The group had reportedly left on motorcycles before officers arrived, leaving no identification of the perpetrators or the reason behind the attack. Investigations were ongoing, managed by the Sub-County Criminal Investigations Officer in Homa Bay.

This incident occurred amidst rising political tensions in Homa Bay leading up to the Linda Mwananchi rally scheduled for the next day. Early Sunday, roads leading into and out of Homa Bay Town were blocked with stones, hindering traffic in certain areas, and video footage showed vehicles unable to navigate some roads. The barricades appeared to have been placed overnight, following threats from ODM-allied leaders who vowed to protest the Linda Mwananchi gathering.

The government had assured participants that security would be provided during the rally, with Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo stating that political groups have a constitutional right to organize meetings but emphasized the need for them to respect the law.