There were gunshots and chaos in Ntimaru in Kuria East, Migori County on Wednesday after police officers conducted a raid at a female circumcision den in the area.
The government has since banned the traditional practice, also known as female genital mutilation, terming it a backward and destructive cultural practice.
The Wednesday operation turned chaotic and destructive as the suspects and a crowd that was celebrating, engaged the police in a fight, hurling stones at the police, who shot in the air.
The incident was confirmed by area police commander Benjamin Rotich, who told the media that the police wanted to rescue three girls who were set for the cut that day.
“My officers wanted to rescue the girls but found they had already been cut and driven away on a motorcycle. We used teargas because some of those in the crowd were armed with stones and arrows,” said Mr Rotich.
The aftermath was injuries and destruction. Scores of people in the crowd were left with injuries, with locals complaining that their property was destroyed in the clash.
Among them is Daniel Wambura, a local businessman, who says that the police attacked everyone in sight with batons. He said that he lost solar panels and computers worth thousands of shillings in the scuffle, terming the police the reason behind his losses.
"My solar panels and computers have been destroyed by police who were engaging in the fight with the community who were celebrating two girls who have been cut,” he said.
But the police boss denied the claims, saying that his officers only went for the suspected circumcisers. The police arrested six people, among them a suspected circumciser, while two of the girls who had been circumcised were sped off in a motorbike, while still bleeding.