When police and goons work together, it's a recipe for chaos

State sponsored goons whipping journalists and protestors along Waiyaki Way during Justice For Albert Ojwang Protests on June 17, 2025. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]

What began as a peaceful protest in the heart of Nairobi on Tuesday quickly degenerated into a horrifying scene of violence, anarchy and impunity. Kenyans had taken to the streets to demand justice for Albert Ojwang, a young man whose life was senselessly cut short under brutal circumstances that point directly at police officers including the Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat.

Instead of listening to the people’s demands, the State responded in a way that has now become their modus operandi and that is through repression, intimidation and brute force. But what made June 18 especially disturbing was the chilling alliance that played out in broad daylight - the unholy union between police officers and politically-sponsored goons.