By G, KNA
Police in Kakamega County have arrested 66 people, including two Members of the Kakamega County Assembly (MCA’s) for alleged involvement in chaos that rocked Isulu- Bushagala area of Ikolomani Constituency over the proposed 683-billion-shilling mining project last Thursday.
Western Regional Police Commander, Issa Mohamoud said ten of the suspects were arrested on the material day while 53 others were arrested during a dawn operation on Friday.
Mohamoud also said that a magazine belonging to the Isulu Police Post was also stolen when a group of goons attempted to overrun the post the same evening.
“They re-grouped and wanted to burn the police post. They wanted to seize guns and wrestled the OCS to the ground, wanting to snatch his pistol, but he fought back, and in the process the magazine with 15 rounds of ammunition dropped, but we still have the pistol,” he added.
The police chief regretted that 21 police officers were injured, two of them seriously and are hospitalized.
Mohamoud who spoke to the media at a press briefing, said the two MCAs were arrested over alleged financing of the goons to cause chaos during a public participation meeting convened by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) on the proposed relocation of about 800 households from their land to pave way for underground mining of gold worth billions of shillings.
“They are the ones who were dishing out money to the protesters. Investigations are ongoing to unmask their masters,” the police boss affirmed.
Mohamoud said police have information that the protests were allegedly planned by some politicians who paid the goons and raised concern over increasing cases of hired goons in Western Kenya region.
“We will expose the sponsors of these goons who cause mayhem, and we will use force, within the bounds of law,” he warned adding: “We have nabbed most of the notorious goons involved in the chaos.
Chaos broke out last Thursday when residents protested the planned gold mining in the area. Some residents are opposed to relocating from the area.
The marauding goons who were armed with crude weapons, stormed Musali Primary School, where the public participation was scheduled to be held, and destroyed property worth millions of shillings.
They also invaded the neighbouring Musali Secondary School and burnt the administration block.