Kenyan Elections Loom as Political Gangs Fuel Fear of Violence

Brian Ongore, a Nairobi resident, says the sight of groups of young men in public now fills him with fear instead of being a normal feature of city life.

“Whenever you see a group of youths, you’re gripped by panic because you never know what might happen next,” Ongore told DW. “Everyone is in constant fear. The overall sense of safety has plummeted. It feels like living in the jungle,” he added.

His worries echo a broader anxiety among Kenyans, heightened by recent violent interruptions of opposition‑linked meetings in Kisumu and Nyahururu.

In June, a civil‑society and church forum held at Nairobi’s All Saints Cathedral was interrupted while participants were debating public‑finance management.

Amnesty International Kenya issued a statement on Monday saying that the “goons” had publicly admitted being sent by influential officials to carry out the brutal assault.

The French news agency Agence France‑Presse (AFP) reported that Kenyan politicians are hiring armed thugs for as little as $4 a day, warning that poverty and ruthless political rivalry could unleash unchecked violence before next year’s polls.

Nairobi businesswoman Priscilla Njoroge cautioned young Kenyans against allowing themselves to be used for political violence. “I call on the goons who are being misused not to jeopardize the peace we have, because violence destroys everything. The losses are far greater,” she told DW.

University student Paul Mwai expressed skepticism about the security agencies’ response. “Yesterday police were seen protecting the goons. I have not witnessed a single goon being decisively dealt with by the very government that keeps issuing threats,” he told DW.

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Ruto responds

Speaking at the funeral of Zipporah Kosgey, the wife of veteran Kenyan politician Henry Kosgey last month, 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 said the use of political gangs was not new but appeared to be becoming more organized.

“Political enterprise is propped up by goonism, which is really paid thugs being used for political power,” he told DW, noting that unemployed young people were particularly vulnerable to recruitment.

Adera warned that political violence and perceptions of partisan policing could undermine democracy.

“You have to ask yourself whether, in the end, it is the will of the people or the will of politicians behind the goons,” he said.

Political economist Sheila Owigo Olang, a governance analyst, agreed that the recent wave of attacks appeared to be more coordinated than in previous election cycles and that impunity seemed prevalent.

“The faces of the goons look like they have very strong sponsors because there are no consequences,” she told DW.

Olang added that attacks had spread beyond campaign rallies to churches and other institutions, creating particular fear among women seeking political office.

“Women are the biggest voting demographic and when they stay home it leads to illegitimate outcomes,” she said, adding that she had personally experienced political intimidation. “I have been a victim.”

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Lessons from 2007

More than 1,000 people were killed following the disputed 2007 presidential election before a power‑sharing agreement brokered by former UN Secretary‑General Kofi Annan helped end the crisis.

The Kofi Annan Foundation warned in its latest Electoral Vulnerability Index that Kenya faced a high risk of election‑related violence ahead of the 2027 polls, citing political tensions, economic hardship and public mistrust in institutions as key drivers.

As East Africa’s largest economy and one of the region’s most influential democracies, Kenya’s elections are always closely watched across the continent.

Analysts say that preventing political violence is essential to ensuring political competition is decided by voters rather than intimidation.

Whether that happens, Adera said, may determine whether next year’s election reflects “the will of the people” or “the will of politicians behind the goons.”

Andrew Wasike contributed to this report

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