Kenya's 'political gangs' fuel election fears
Violent disruptions of political and civic events are raising concerns about the use of hired gangs as Kenya heads toward elections in 2027. For Brian
Violent disruptions of political and civic events are raising concerns about the use of hired gangs as Kenya heads toward elections in 2027. For Brian Ongore, a resident of Kenya's capital, Nairobi, seeing groups of young men in public has become a source of anxiety rather than an ordinary part of city life. "Whenever you see a group of youths, you're just in panic because you never know what will happen to you next," Ongore told DW. "Everybody is in constant panic. The general feeling of safety has gone down. It's like you're living in the jungle." His concerns echo growing fears among many Kenyans, particularly after violent disruptions at opposition-linked gatherings in the towns of Kisumu and Nyahururu this month. So-called "goons" are increasingly being hired, dozens or even hundreds at a time, to intimidate rivals or disrupt public events ahead of the Kenya's 2027 elections. News agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) noted that police often turn a blind eye. Politicians and police insist they want to stamp out 'goonism' but analysts say it is deeply entrenched on all sides Image: Luis Tato/AFP In June, a civil society and church forum at Nairobi's All Saints Cathedral was disrupted during discussions on public finance management. According to a statement published on Monday by Amnesty International Kenya, "The goons publicly confessed to having been sent by some powerful government officials to carry out the heinous attack." The incidents have renewed debate over the growing use of politically linked gangs to disrupt public events ahead of Kenya's August 2027 general election.
The AFP news agency reported that "Kenyan politicians are hiring armed thugs for as little as $4 per day as poverty and ruthless political competition threaten to unleash uncontrollable violence ahead of elections next year." Nairobi businesswoman Priscilla Njoroge urged young Kenyans not to allow themselves to be exploited for political violence. "I would like to tell the goons who are being misused not to play with the peace we have because violence destroys everything. The losses are much greater," she said. University student Paul Mwai also questioned the response of the security agencies. "Yesterday police were seen protecting the goons. I have not seen even a single goon being dealt with decisively by the same government that keeps issuing threats," he said. Ruto responds The growing concern has prompted a response from the government. Is the opposition fueling Kenya fuel protests? To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Speaking at the funeral of Zipporah Kosgey, wife of veteran Kenyan politician Henry Kosgey last month, Kenyan President William Ruto acknowledged the growing presence of political gangs and warned that violence could undermine the democratic process. "These goons are innocent children who are being used by bankrupt politicians. They go around causing chaos, assaulting people and causing destruction," Ruto said. "All the goons should be dealt with firmly, and those who are paying these young people should also be tracked down." Security analyst Byron Adera says the use of political gangs is not new but appears to be becoming more organized in the run-up to Kenya's election, which is scheduled to take place on August 10, 2027.
The BriefWire