You do not have to hire goons, terrorise Kenyans to win elections

Goons attack a convoy of the Opposition leader along the Kisii-Keroka Road in Keumbu, Kisii County, on July 3, 2026. [Sammy Omingo, Standard] 

The recent attack on the Opposition at Keumbu market in Kisii County highlights an erroneous, yet persistent belief within our political landscape: That violence is a viable option for intimidating opponents. It is a sobering reflection of the lengths to which some political actors, who abandon reason for brute force, will go.

This incident brings to the fore what philosopher Thomas Hobbes described as the state of nature, a condition where, left without checks and controls, humans exhibit a propensity towards their darker instincts. One is compelled to ask: Why pelt stones and wield crude weapons against a fellow human being simply because they are selling a different political agenda? Why not focus on strengthening your own campaign team and let the Opposition present their case to the electorate?

Beneath this inhuman act, are fundamental truths that we, as a society, need to confront.

First, it exposes the reality that there are individuals with excessive amounts of money in this country. After banking, saving, and investing, they possess a surplus of wealth that they now deploy to buy goons. This commodification of violence turns desperate citizens into weapons for hire, funding chaos rather than development.

Second, we need to examine the anatomy of this dynamic. Who is a goon? Often, it is someone who lacks financial stability. It is a desperate individual, unsure of how the day will start or end. It is someone with unused energy and too much time to spare. Ultimately, a goon is a vulnerable person, exploited for their poverty. Conversely, who is the financier of 'goonism'? It is someone with the financial power to buy loyalty. It is an individual who believes they have a vested interest to protect, or one who fears losing legality and legitimacy. This is a person who does not care about causing pain to others, believing that inflicting harm on a competitor is a legitimate political strategy. In sum, the financier is someone who, when faced with strong opposition, completely disregards the human dignity of the other.

Third, there is a pervasive belief among some political aspirants that to win, one has to play rogue. Perhaps, in the short term, it appears to work that way. However, there is a limit to roguishness. When blood is spilled, when a fellow human being is harmed, it should be glaringly obvious that the line of politics has been crossed. The law is unequivocal on this matter: It ceases to be politics and becomes a crime. The reality is that one does not need to be a rogue to secure an electoral victory. Ideas, strategy, and connection with the voters are enough tools. Fourth, financing 'goonism' sends a counterproductive signal to the electorate. Rather than projecting strength, it reveals that the financier is weak, has sensed impending defeat, and is panicking. It generates an atmosphere of desperation rather than confidence. Voters are perceptive; they can distinguish between a leader who commands respect through vision and one who demands submission through fear.

The essence of our human nature, as championed by the Ubuntu philosophy and the spiritual teachings of various established religions, is rooted in human dignity. Whether rich or poor, the respect for that which is fundamentally human in all of us should never be tampered with. Violence strips away this dignity, degrading both the victim and the perpetrator.

This brings me to a final reflection. Throughout history, wealth has been weaponised to destructive ends; money was used to betray and kill Jesus, and today, we see money used to harm fellow human beings in the pursuit of power. Yet, the truth remains that even without the deployment of illicit funds and violence, leaders will still be elected. The choice lies with the actors involved. It is time for the voter and the politician alike to wake up to the fact that you can still win an election without compromising the life and dignity of your fellow human being. The ballot should be a contest of ideas, not a battlefield.