Idle youth are behind the latest wave of crime in Rhonda, residents have said.
Speaking on Friday, the residents said the youth have become a gun for hire for local politicians who are keen on misusing them to achieve their selfish ends.
"It is the jobless youth who are wreaking havoc here and we know whom they are holding briefs for," a resident said.
His sentiments were echoed by Rosemary Karuri who added that the young men are a frustrated lot and could therefore go at any length to register their anger.
Karuri added that the latest confrontation witnessed lately between rival gangs in the area was an indication of how grave the youth issue is.
Tension remained high for the better part of Thursday as police patrolled the area in a bid to arrest members of a machete wielding gang that has left residents in shock.
The residents have now called for urgent empowerment of the youths before they wage a full blown attacks on them saying their continued idleness was a ticking time bomb especially now that the electioneering period is closing in.