"KSh 4k paid to each youth": Details emerge on how Homa Bay chaos was planned

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

The newspapers Tuesday, August 18, reported on various topics, with keen focus on the chaos witnessed in Homa Bay county Sunday, August 16, where Linda Mwananchi took its campaign.

1. Daily Nation

Violence that paralysed parts of Homa Bay County on Sunday, August 3, was planned several days in advance, with politicians allegedly recruiting and paying youths to disrupt meetings organised by the Linda Mwananchi political group.

Police sources and accounts from youths who participated in the clashes indicate that the planning began on August 2 at the home of an unnamed senior politician, shortly after a reception held for Homa Bay woman representative Joyce Osogo.

At that meeting, youths were instructed to stop Siaya governor James Orengo, Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna, and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino from holding any gatherings in the county.

Each youth recruited for the operation was reportedly paid between KSh 2,000 and KSh 4,000. Those who received the higher amount were transported in from neighbouring Migori County.

The evening before the main disturbances, a second gathering took place at Lo Rateng, where Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma addressed supporters.

In a video that circulated on social media, Kaluma urged those loyal to him to force out members of the rival group.

"We are issuing an order now that anyone advocating for a 'one-term' agenda must be chased away," he said.

He further called on his supporters to track down Linda Mwananchi members at hotels and lodgings across the town.

Shortly after the video spread, reports of attacks began emerging.

Youths on motorcycles, carrying machetes, clubs, and other weapons, descended on the Homa Bay Tourist Hotel, forced entry into 21 rooms, stole mattresses and television sets, assaulted staff members, and destroyed CCTV equipment to conceal their actions.

By 4 am on Sunday, youths had gathered at the Homa Bay bus terminus and set up roadblocks using stones and other debris, effectively trapping residents indoors and cutting off access to the local market for traders.

One youth revealed that all instructions were passed down by phone from politicians and mobilisers.

He also claimed that certain youths serve as informal bodyguards for politicians and receive weapons before demonstrations.

Homa Bay County Commissioner Ronald Mwiwawi noted that some of those involved had gone as far as welding two machetes together to create longer blades.

Violence intensified as Orengo's convoy, which included Trans Nzoia governor George Natembeya, was blocked at Ndhiwa and the Kodoyo roundabout.

Police deployed tear gas to clear the barricades. Fresh clashes broke out near the same roundabout when the convoy returned to Homa Bay town following rallies at Nyandiwa and Sindo. Several vehicles were stoned, and others collided during the confrontations.

A youth rescued by journalists sustained serious injuries to his neck, arm, and back, claiming he had been trapped inside a vehicle that was set on fire.

Sources identified a man known as "Kamanda", an ODM youth leader named Abdi, as a central link between the politicians directing the operation and the youths carrying it out on the ground.

2. Taifa Leo

A political rally held in Homa Bay on Sunday cast an unexpected spotlight on the county's crumbling road infrastructure, prompting a debate online and among politicians about who is to blame for decades of neglect.

The Linda Mwananchi rally, attended by Governor James Orengo, Senator Edwin Sifuna, and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, took Kenyans through parts of Suba South that rarely feature in the county's polished online image.

While Homa Bay is often associated with Lake Victoria's beaches and the wildlife of Ruma National Park, the rally footage told a different story.

Live video of the Nyandiwa road revealed cracked, dusty surfaces, absent electricity poles, and sparse, arid terrain that drew sharp reactions from viewers. Some users on social media likened the stretch to conflict zones, while others pointed to an image of Lake Victoria framed by barren land and nicknamed it the "Strait of Hormuz."

Not everyone took the comparisons lightly. Several leaders acknowledged the region's long-standing infrastructure deficit and offered competing explanations.

Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo admitted that roads across both Suba North and Suba South constituencies remain in a poor state, but pointed to recent progress.

She noted that the Rusinga Ring Road has been paved under President William Ruto's administration, and that the Mfangano Ring Road has been opened, with the Sindo-Mbita road among those scheduled for rehabilitation.

Governor Gladys Wanga attributed part of the region's underdevelopment to ODM's prolonged years in opposition, which she said limited access to national government resources.

Writing on her Facebook page, she clarified that the affected roads are classified as major highways, not rural access roads, and that their neglect cannot be explained away by geography.

She credited former president Kibaki and prime ,minister Raila Odinga (both deceased) with tarmacking the Homa Bay-Mbita road, and former president Uhuru Kenyatta with constructing the Mbita Bridge.

Wanga said the Suba road would be rehabilitated under the Lake Victoria Ring Road project following sign-off by Finance Minister John Mbadi.

Sifuna struck a more critical tone. He questioned why the road remained in such disrepair given its proximity to the home of the Finance Minister.

"Recently, we were told that because we support the broad-based government, all roads have been paved. Today, we have eaten dust; we have truly eaten dust," he said.

He added that Homa Bay residents are yet to feel the full benefit of national government projects.

The footage from Sunday's rally has reignited a wider conversation about equitable distribution of infrastructure spending in Kenya's lakeside counties. For many residents, the images broadcast to the rest of the country were neither surprising nor new, they were simply the reality of daily life in Suba South.

3. The Star

President William Ruto has reportedly launched strategic moves to split the opposition and safeguard his 2027 re-election bid. Ruto’s camp is actively reaching out to key opposition leaders, offering lucrative state appointments, regional development projects, and political incentives.

The core strategy aims to either draw these leaders into the administration or persuade them to run independently, effectively fragmenting the anti-Ruto vote to prevent the opposition from rallying behind a single candidate.

A primary target of this initiative is Fred Matiang'i, a former Cabinet Secretary and leading contender for the opposition’s presidential ticket. Kenya Kwanza operatives reportedly approached a Nyamira MP to offer Matiang'i a Cabinet position alongside other influential posts.

Alternatively, if Matiang'i declines a government role, Ruto’s team hopes to keep him in the presidential race to split the Gusii region's nearly 1 million votes.

Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka confirmed these persistent overtures, noting that while the administration continues to offer positions, Matiang'i remains committed to the opposition.

The administration’s outreach also extends to Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and DAP-Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa.

Opposition figures, including Wiper leaders and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, have acknowledged multiple attempts by Ruto’s allies to entice Kalonzo, though Wiper officials firmly denied rumors of a private State House meeting and rejected working with the government.

Kalonzo’s influence in the vote-rich Ukambani region makes him a central figure in these political calculations.

This strategy comes amid polling data from TIFA Research indicating Ruto leads individual candidates with 24% support, followed by Edwin Sifuna (15%), Matiang'i (14%), and Kalonzo (13%).

Because Ruto’s current backing falls short of the constitutional threshold needed to secure a first-round victory, the combined strength of a unified opposition poses a significant challenge. Consequently, dividing the opposition’s voter base across key regions remains a critical focus for Ruto’s re-election campaign.

4. The Standard

At a Naivasha hotel last week, over 200 MPs, senators, Cabinet Secretaries, governors and their deputies convened to design the framework of a UDA–ODM coalition ahead of the General Election.

The retreat centred on coalition building, regional zoning, running‑mate calculations and strategies to consolidate national support. President William Ruto chaired the meeting, confirming plans to formally convert the Broad‑Based Government into a political coalition, calling it the path to electoral victory.

Notably, many Mt Kenya leaders and several UDA figures allied to Rigathi Gachagua skipped the retreat, highlighting the reality that national success must first withstand regional battles.

The tension was underscored when a convoy was attacked in Kaptembwa, Nakuru, reflecting how fiercely contested local ground has become. Meanwhile, ODM leaders at the Coast endorsed Ruto’s re‑election bid, signalling the kind of regional consolidation the retreat aimed to achieve.

Kenyan elections have long been defined by coalition arithmetic, but the question now is whether this formula can keep pace with a rapidly changing electorate.

Young voters, once dismissed as disengaged, are reshaping the landscape. The 2024 anti‑Finance Bill protests elevated Gen Z’s visibility, evolving from digital activism into sustained civic mobilisation, including the #NikoKadi campaign that pushed peers to register.

During the IEBC’s April voter registration, 2.6 million new voters were added, largely driven by youth initiatives. This surge presents a challenge that coalition deals alone cannot resolve.

The Naivasha talks, and similar opposition negotiations, still rely on a model rooted in independence‑era politics: securing regional elites, consolidating ethnic blocs, and negotiating power‑sharing among heavyweights.

That formula has delivered victories time and again. Whether it will prove sufficient in the next election remains an open question.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.