Elections vs goons: Is Kenya heading the Haiti way?
National
By
Irene Githinji
| Jul 06, 2026
The clock is ticking and a day gone by is an inch closer to the 2027 General Election, with just about 400 days to go.
As this happens, concern is rising over the trend of goonism and anarchy slowly creeping into the country, coupled with allegations of abduction.
Acts of goonism are seemingly in operation and turning out to be a thorn, which have even extended to places of worship at a critical time when the country is preparing for the next elections, amid heightened political temperatures as people align themselves.
In mid-2024, Kenyan troops and police officers travelled to Haiti for a UN-backed Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to curb gang violence and now, Kenyans are seeking to have the situation in the country contained before it goes full-blown.
Against the backdrop of fears of a Haiti-like situation that Kenyan forces had to go and quell, the people are calling for order, peace and tranquillity to reign in the country before criminals take a dangerous lead.
The acts of chaos, sometimes characterised by hurling stones at people with divergent political views, have seen some innocent people bear the brunt, as some are left injured and property destroyed in the melee.
The most recent is the chaos reported in Keumbu, Kisii County, where goons pelted stones on the Linda Mwananchi supporters and politicians, led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.
This has since been heavily criticized over what is described as infringing on the democratic right to congregate.
“What broke me is that there were police officers in the group of people who were pelting stones and I have sent those clips to the Inspector General of Police. As opposition, we will not allow chaos and attacks on our meetings. We just want to go to our meetings, but the ultimate decision is in the hands of Kenyans. We must stop politics of chaos,” Sifuna said.
A cross-section of politicians has condemned the culture of goons in events, saying that such kind of intolerance has no space in a country that is governed by the rule of law.
In a never-before-seen scene, reports have also indicated a chilling moment when armed goons were said to block the busy Thika Superhighway at Pangani, reportedly with pangas and machetes.
More often than not, the National Police Service (NPS) has found itself on the receiving end as a flurry of accusations face them over what has been termed as shielding goons, reports that they have been vehemently denying.
Siaya Governor James Orengo, who is part of the Linda Mwananchi, condemned the chaos in Kisii, saying that the power belongs to the people and no one can stop an idea whose time has come.
“No amount of violence could stop us from reaching Keroka. It is shameful that police escorted the goons who pelted our convoy with stones. Thank you, Nyamira, for standing with us in one voice; you have affirmed that Ruto must go,” Orengo uttered.
Former Cabinet Secretary and gubernatorial aspirant Ezekiel Machogu termed it deeply shameful for people to disrupt a meeting or event they are not part of, saying what was witnessed at Keumbu, as the Linda Mwananchi convoy was passing, should not be taken lightly.
“How do people get to the point of pelting stones at vehicles? Even more disturbing is the sight of police officers standing by as property is destroyed. Kenyans deserve impartial policing and protection, regardless of political affiliation,” he said.
He urged the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, to share his opinion on the status of affairs, even as he wondered whether the country is headed in the right direction and pointed an accusing finger at politicians behind the vice.
“I would like to ask the Inspector General of Police: Is this the direction we want our country to take? Citizens should be able to attend meetings, travel, and express their political views without fear of intimidation or violence," Machogu said.
He regretted that act of goonism would affect their business and urged all leaders to promote peace and ensure that political competition does not descend into violence.
"Leadership should unite people, not create an environment where such incidents occur. As the Gusii community, we should reject political intolerance and uphold respect, civility, and peaceful engagement," he stated.
"We are getting to a chapter that we do not like and understand. Our constitution is clear: people can congregate and say whatever they want and let Kenyans decide. If we go on like this, it is going to be total anarchy. Say No to goonism. Say Yes to peace, dialogue, and the rule of law.”
Kenyans have demanded an explanation from Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on why armed goons are openly operating alongside police officers without being arrested.
Starehe MP Amos Mwago also regretted the status of affairs, saying that goonism is getting its space in the country and should not be allowed to thrive.
According to Mwago, the culture of goonism is slowly graduating to gangs, and the fact that money is involved worsens the situation.
He said a majority drawn from informal settlements may not have a source of income, are easily lured and slowly form gangs, which ultimately terrorise people within their homes and beyond.
“The other day there were reports of goons blocking the road at Pangani. You recruit goons gradually, but the moment they see they do not have money, they retreat and become gangs. They organise themselves and start harassing people all over, including robbing in broad daylight. They are recruited with promises of providing security in rallies, but that kind of life is not sustainable because such events do not happen every day,” he told The Standard.
“It is sad because they are just being used to execute vices, and sometimes, they have police connections and can barely be arrested by anyone. It is almost being likened to the Haiti situation because when it matures, they will continue terrorising people. Some have Government protection,” he added.
The NPS has said that at least seven people have been arrested in connection with the Keumbu incident, while Nyaribari Chache MP, Zaheer Jhanda summoned to appear before the Kisii County DCI office in connection with the ongoing investigations.
Last week, Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua and Murkomen were involved in an exchange of words online over reports of goons in O Kalou, as campaigns for the upcoming by-elections heat up.
“Kipchumba Murkomen has dispatched the Nairobi Sierra killer squad that attacked Witima ACK church to cause mayhem in Ol Kalou. They arrived and started abductions and indiscriminate beatings on DCP campaigners. Our teams are held up at the Royal Garden Hotel under brutal police and State-sponsored militia. Goons are currently breaking into the Hotel. Thank you, Ol Kalou people, for resisting this killer squad,” Gachagua wrote.
With Murkomen responding: “Mr Rigathi Gachagua, we know your gimmicks and juvenile attempts at reverse psychology. Try violence in Ol Kalou and you will see. To anyone being recruited to violence by Gachagua, keep off because the consequences will be dire.”
Last month, Gachagua claimed that goons work in cohort with plain-clothes police officers and are backed by anti-riot police, saying Murkomen is the commander of Nairobi Sierra - a team of rogue police officers.
Gachagua alleged that the team was captured on video attacking Witima ACK church in Othaya and is also responsible for coordinating goons and other rogue police officers who have been unleashing violence against innocent Kenyans.
“After the Witima church attack, the DCI recommended that the 12 police officers be prosecuted, but Murkomen stopped it and instead had them promoted to their next ranks and given more responsibilities to attack Kenyans and businesses,” Gachagua claimed.
Gachagua has also alleged that goonism is now a way of life since the appointment of Murkomen as CS and that he has a parallel police control outside the command of the IG.
“Senior police officers are frustrated and embarrassed that NPS have abandoned their duty of protecting life and property and instead are working with goons to harm Kenyans and destroy property. There is disquiet in the National Intelligence Service as Murkomen has also created another group of intelligence officers directly to him outside the established chain of command in the service,” he said.
“As we prepare to go for the General Elections next year, it is evident that Murkomen is hell-bent on creating anarchy with a view to attempting to postpone the General Elections. It will not be allowed. Kenyans will stand up and defend their constitutional rights.”
The church has also been adding its voice over the acts of goonism with the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), concerned that it had not spared places of worship.
According to the Catholic Bishops, the increasingly visible weaponisation of goons to disrupt lawful public gatherings and intimidation of citizens seeking to participate in democratic dialogue also poses a grave threat to the rule of law and the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.
They demanded that the Inspector General of Police conduct a swift, transparent investigation to unmask, arrest, and prosecute the individuals who execute these attacks and their sponsors.
“We urge all Kenyans, including our young people, to continue behaving responsibly, with respect for the dignity of human life and property. We are afraid there is a growing concern that "goonism" is having an official support. Can Government dispel this suspicion from the minds of citizens? Is there political will to deal with the menace of "goonism" or is it in the interest of the political elite? We remind political actors that places of worship are inviolable sanctuaries, not battlegrounds to be defiled by violence,” the KCCB said.
The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) regretted that many Kenyans have suffered and died in the frenzy of politically organised violence that is progressively getting entrenched in public life and forums.
The NCCK reminded Kanja that he has a constitutional duty to ensure every person who pays or mobilises others into violence is arrested and prosecuted, noting that he will be held personally responsible for the misdeeds happening under his watch.
“It is very immoral, diabolical, insensitive and against God for political leaders to take advantage of the poverty and unemployment of young Kenyans by hiring them as goons. We condemn those who are engaging in this practice and strongly denounce the comradeship being displayed between the goons and security agents,” NCCK stated.
Last month, goons invaded a meeting happening at the All-Saints Cathedral, even as the church condemned it, terming it an increasing trend of using intimidation, violence and fear to silence Kenyans, which must be put to an urgent stop.
Head of ACK in Kenya, Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit, demanded the immediate arrest of goons who have been intimidating Kenyans and their subsequent prosecution, failure to which Kanja should resign.
He condemned continued invasion of institutions, citing situations where young people are recruited to threaten fellow citizens, force replaces dialogue, and fear becomes a tool of public engagement.
Sapit wondered who owns the goons who attack people in broad daylight and are not arrested, yet they have overrun streets, hotels and churches.
“If the police cannot bring to book those who attack people in churches, hotels and in broad daylight, in the streets and whose faces were identified in CCTV footage, whose motorbike number plates were clearly seen, then they failed to protect Kenyans. If that is not revealed, we demand that the IG resign because he has failed in his job,” said Sapit.
The archbishop regretted that some human beings imagine that power belongs to those who can intimidate, threaten or control others.
“We live at a time when people are tempted to believe that power belongs to the people who command the largest voices, crowds or those with the capacity to intimidate others, with ammunition and can kill,” he stated.