More than 10 people were injured and several vehicles destroyed with stones when armed rival boda boda groups clashed in Eldoret on Wednesday.
Businesses in the CBD were closed as the riders attacked each other for about one hour
using
rungus, stones and other crude weapons.
Stones were hurled at vehicles caught up in the fighting near Fims garage along Kenyatta Street.
It took riot police, who lobbed tear gas canisters, more than an hour to end the violence. They reported to the scene after an order by Uasin Gishu county commissioner Abdi Hassan.
Sporadic fighting began a week ago when people believed to be politicians transported boda boda operators from rural parts of the county to the town centre.
Two operators were stabbed
at the bus park on Tuesday after a crowd stormed in to eject a group of riders.
Hassan asked the county to end the transfer of the riders and said the government should not permit the lawlessness.
“We have asked police to firmly deal with all those involved," he said, adding they will work with the county to ensure the operators join saccos and respect rules of operation.
“We are investigating...whoever is involved in inciting the youth will be arrested and charged."
Huruma MCA Peter Chomba blamed unnamed politicians whom he said had created tribal groups in a bid to control the business.
“We have asked, several times, that the national government intervene but they are overlooking the issue which may explode as we approach the election," said Chomba.
He claimed an aide to a top county official was behind the attacks on boda boda operators referred to as "outsiders".
Police sources said they were following up on reports that some aspirants for the governor’s seat were involved in the skirmishes.