Thanks @bcworkz for your comments. I did notice some custom modification made by install scripts but these did not seem to cause my issue. I have alerted my hosting provider as the Softaculous scripts may cause other issues.
I have found the solution. As there were no instructions on setting up theme twenty seventeen. I played around until it worked. Here are my findings.
Create pages with a featured image. Build and save your menu. Go to customize, theme options and update the Front Page Section Content w/new menu items. Save & Publish, refresh homepage and done.