Boda boda riders storm Homa Bay station to demand suspect's release

Police were forced to lob teargas to disperse boda boda riders who stormed Homa Bay station to demand the release of a suspected thief.

The riders on Tuesday evening thronged the police station as they were baying for the blood of the suspect they accused of engaging in crime.

They had earlier on gone to the home of the suspect at Olodo village in Homa Bay Town constituency and attempted to torch his house.

The boda boda riders accused the suspect of perpetrating robbery with violence.

“The riders stormed the home and assaulted the suspect with crude weapons. They set ablaze the house where the man was in but the fire was put out,” a resident said.

Police were called to go to the scene where they rescued the suspect.

The boda boda riders claimed that the suspect is armed with a gun and he uses it to threaten people.

During the fracas, riders claimed the suspect fired in the air to scare them.

“Police arrived at the scene and rescued him. The man has two guns,” one of the riders said.

The guns were later taken to Rodi Kopany police station even as the riders attempted to storm the station.

Police later detained more than 20 motorcycles after some of the riders ran away.

Homa Bay police commander Samson Kinne said the riders unlawfully stormed the station.

Attempts by security officers to calm them down did not bear fruit before the police resorted to the use of force to drive them out of the station.

Kinne said they plan to charge the riders with trespass.

“It is an act of impunity and we will not allow it to repeat," he said.

Kinne said his officers have established that the suspect was using a homemade gun.