Chaos erupted at the Railways bus stage in Nakuru town on Wednesday as local youths tried to disrupt normal operations at the matatu termini.
Nakuru East Sub-County Police Commander Samson Adaje said his officers moved in swiftly and stopped the youths who were armed with stones.
It was not immediately clear why the youths were out to interrupt the operations of the matatu termini.
Business in the area came to a standstill, and local traders hurriedly closed their premises as the youths engaged the police in running battles. The traders said they suffered massive losses as their businesses remained closed until normalcy was restored.
Police were forced to use tear gas to disperse the youth who were threatening to completely paralyse operations at the stage, with fears that the chaos could have spread to the rest of the city.
"The youths were blocking normal activities in the area and disrupting transport services. Our officers moved in and calm was restored," said Adanje.
A video from the scene showed youths throwing stones at police officers, adding to the tension in the area.
The violence led to the closure of nearby shops as matatu operations were temporarily disrupted.
This incident adds to the latest series of security incidents in Nakuru County.
Nakuru has previously struggled with gang violence, which has led the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to send special teams to deal with the problem.
Due to rising concerns, area governor Susan Kihika called for a meeting with county security officials to find solutions to the growing insecurity.
Just days before, on Sunday night, June 2, a police officer in Nakuru County was killed, while two others were wounded and are recovering in the hospital after an ambush by an armed gang while on patrol on Sunday night.
Adanje stated that the gang launched a surprise attack on the officers in Nakuru's Free Area Estate.
Police are still launching a manhunt for the suspects as investigations into the motive and circumstances surrounding the attack continue.
