Police in Kakamega County have identified three area politicians suspected to be behind the killings in Matungu constituency that have left 13 people dead.
Speaking during a meeting with stakeholders on Tuesday, area County Commissioner Abdulrizak Jaldesa said that the politicians are allegedly in control of the terror gangs.
He, however, declined to name them but noted that they are residents of the county and have been financing the terror youth groups and fueling their motorbikes.
He added that the attacks that have also left scores nursing injuries after encounters with the attackers are being used by the politicians to settle political scores and to address rivalry.
“We cannot name them now because this will jeopardise our investigations but we have sufficient information to hold the three politicians who are residents of this county to task because whenever we go, their names are [mentioned in connection] to the killings,” he was quoted by the Nation.
He said that the groups have adopted names of known criminal gangs in the region like 14 and 42 brothers in a bid to instil fear into locals ahead of the 2022 polls, adding that the said politicians are banking on the rogue group to outdo their rivals.
He said that the politicians have maximised on the high levels of poverty in the area to trap the youths.
“They have taken advantage of the biting poverty in the region after the collapse of Mumias Sugar Company and are giving the young people money to kill each other. We shall not allow this to go on anymore,” added the police boss.