An increase in hired political gangs across Kenya is raising serious concerns about the country’s security ahead of the 2027 General Election. Although Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has consistently blamed politicians for fueling goon culture through recruitment, funding, and protection, more needs to be done to hold those responsible accountable.

Incidents involving hired political gangs across Kenya have left a trail of destruction and death. The Linda Mwananchi opposition events held in Kisumu and Nyahururu on July 12, 2026, resulted in the death of one person in Kisumu, while scores of people sustained multiple injuries across both events.

Similar incidents were witnessed during the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election campaign in Kenya, where armed goons disrupted a political rally, resulting in injuries and damage to rival political vehicles. The violence that clouded the Ol Kalou by-election caught the attention of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), prompting a warning that the poll could be postponed or canceled.

The IEBC’s concerns over the alleged mobilization of goons to disrupt the electoral process ahead of the Ol Kalou by-election, scheduled for July 16, 2026, point to a worrying political atmosphere that hired gangs are cultivating in different parts of Kenya.

Kenyan human rights groups have voiced concern over the rise of political gangs used to intimidate political rivals across the country. Insufficient police action against the growing number of hired political gangs, despite numerous incidents of violence, raises questions about Kenya’s preparedness to ensure a violence-free General Election in 2027.

According to International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) Kenya Executive Director Demas Kiprono, the activities of politically instigated gangs are driven by intense political competition.

As the country moves closer to the 2027 General Election, pressure is mounting on security agencies to crack down on organized political gangs in a bid to create a peaceful election environment and protect Kenyans from criminal acts linked to hired political gangs.