Four MCAs from Siaya County who stormed Dominion Company on Thursday were arrested and placed in police custody.
Leonard Oriaro(Central Alego), Nicholas Aneme(South Sakwa) Sylvester Madialo (Usonga) and Elisha Okuku(East Yimbo) were taken to Siaya Police Station by anti-riot officers.
The MCAs together with about 20 youths hired the services of a bulldozer to pull down the company's gates. They say the gate blocked the Yimbo-Kandege road, which the public wanted access.
Police pitched camp at the gate threw tear gas canisters and shot blank bullets to disperse protesters. They engaged demonstrators in running battles before the leaders were arrested.
Siaya police boss Ancient Kaloki said they detained the MCAs to deter them from pulling down the company's gate and defuse tension in the area.
“We
are here to protect property of any investor or businessman and if politicians around think they can use violence to solve issues they are day dreaming,” Kaloki said.
He said he had pleaded with the MCAs to vacate the area peacefully, but they decided to disobey them.
“We are not going to pull away our anti-riot police until tension that is surrounding dominion issue defuses. I will arrest and push for prosecution of those who are out to cause chaos in the region,” he added.
Central Alego MCA Leonard Oriaro and East Yimbo MCA Elisha Okuku being escorted in a police Land Rover after protests at Dominion Company in Siaya county on September 29, 2016. /LAMECK BARAZA
Area OCPD urged leaders to stop fighting Dominion as the company was important for the development Siaya county and the local community.
But the MCAs told the press that they were tired of persistent harassment of locals by the company.
"Dominion is not helping us and the investor has failed to honour all he promised to do, we demand that the MoU that gave him land should be re-negotiated," Oriaro said amid applause from the villagers.
He said they would not relent until Dominion removes the gate.
Attempts to reach the company's management for comment were futile.