Suspected Homa Bay 'chief goon' Kassim Abdi Sebo, 7 others arrested in police crackdown

Police have arrested a man described as an alleged "chief goon" in Homa Bay County during an operation carried out on Thursday night.

The suspect, identified as Kassim Abdi Sebo, was apprehended at a bus stage by officers from Homa Bay Police Station.

Police officers were executing an arrest warrant issued by the Homa Bay Law Courts over a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm.

According to a police report filed after the operation, Sebo's associates reportedly attempted to obstruct officers as they carried out the arrest, leading to their own arrest shortly after.

Those arrested alongside him have been named as Achiando Victor Odhiambo, 26; Isaac Masika Muliro, alias Waigo, 30; Oyege Moses Geoffrey, 27; Geoffrey Njore, 25; Wesley Odhiambo Anold, alias Mwas, 26; Joseph Kobila, 28; and Alfred Nyagiro Aliwa, 26.

All eight suspects have since been booked into custody, pending their arraignment in court.

The Homa Bay arrests form part of a broader, sustained operation targeting criminal gangs across the country, following a directive from Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja instructing Regional Police Commanders to take firm, lawful action against organised violence and gang-related activity within their jurisdictions.

Figures from the Ministry of Interior show the scale of that crackdown. Between January 1 and August 31, 2026, the operations resulted in 1,827 arrests linked to goonism and organised criminal activity nationwide.

Trans Nzoia recorded the highest number of arrests during this period, with 491 cases.

The same data shows 729 convictions secured over the period, with a further 716 cases still pending before the courts. The Rift Valley region accounted for 36.5 percent of all convictions recorded.

In terms of identified criminal groups by region, Western Kenya leads with 38, followed by the Rift Valley with 22 and Nairobi with 20. Nyanza has 12 identified groups, the Coast region 11, Eastern three, North Eastern two, and Central one.

The Homa Bay arrests also come against a backdrop of growing concern over the use of hired youth gangs to disrupt political rallies and intimidate political opponents, an issue that has escalated significantly in the region ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The problem gained national attention following violent clashes during the Linda Mwananchi opposition tour in August 2026, which left several people dead, caused numerous injuries, and resulted in significant property destruction.