UPDATES
Eldoret: Armed goons patrol streets, rough up anti-Finance Bill advocates
There was heavy presence of heavily armed security personnel in Eldoret Town, in President William Ruto’s Uasin Gishu County backyard on Thursday amid heightened tension after the emergence of parallel protest groups in the town on the contentious Finance Bill 2024.
Groups of more than 300 young men armed with batons and other crude weapons were Thursday spotted roaming and patrolling the streets of Eldoret Town, harassing and roughing up onlookers those perceived to be against the Finance Bill, 2024.
The armed men beat up those who were seen taking pictures and recording their activities. According to locals, the group appeared to have many new faces, suggesting that they may have been brought in from outside.
They emerged in the town on Wednesday, where they spent the day walking up and down the streets singing ritualistic songs and performing traditional prayers that resembled war cries and cleansing rites following Tuesday’s chaotic protests, which resulted in running battles, the destruction of buildings and the looting of property.
At some point during Wednesday’s processions, a section of the group emerged with a new wheelbarrow painted in the colours of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and erected it in a new location at the Trogadero roundabout on the Kapsabet-Kisumu highway.
Angry protesters against the Finance Bill had earlier on Tuesday toppled the wheelbarrow at Juma Haji roundabout, where it had stood since the last general election campaign.
However, President Ruto’s announcement on Wednesday night that he would not assent to the controversial Finance Bill appears to have thrown the protesters off balance in the area, even as armed thugs took to the streets in anticipation of dealing with any protesters.
The armed groups had gathered at the county government headquarters early in the morning, where they held a meeting before patrolling the streets with their batons.
In what they described as ‘protecting Eldoret town from violent protesters’, the armed groups had been on patrol clearing debris from Tuesday’s chaotic protests against Finance Bill 2024, which saw demonstrators lighting bonfires and blocking several roads with boulders and logs.
Later in the afternoon, they reconvened at the county government headquarters, where they reportedly handed over the crude weapons.
At the time of going to press, the armed groups were still holed up in a meeting at the county government headquarters as anti-riot police watched from a distance.
On the other hand, more than 20 police Light Utility Vehicles full of armed police patrolled the streets, ostensibly due to fears of a possible clash between the new pro-government groups and the anti-finance bill protesters.
Military tanks and two trucks carrying military officers were also seen patrolling the city towards Rupa Mall early on Thursday morning, but left after observing the calm in the town.
Anti-riot police backed by Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) were stationed in strategic positions to block demonstrators’ access to the Central Business District (CBD) to avert a possible clash between the pro- and anti-tax protesters. They were stationed mainly where Tuesday’s demonstrations began before spreading throughout the city.
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