Faith Odhiambo Lifts Lid on Kenya’s ‘Goonism’ Crisis, Says Poverty and Political Financing Are Fueling Election Violence
Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo has argued that Kenya’s recurring wave of politically sponsored violence is rooted not merely in policing failures but in poverty and the financing of politics, warning that the country risks repeating a dangerous cycle unless the masterminds behind the violence are held accountable.
Speaking during a televised interview on Monday, July 13, 2026, Odhiambo said the phenomenon commonly referred to as “goonism” is not new, describing it as a decades-old political strategy that has merely evolved under different names while continuing to exploit unemployed and vulnerable youth.
According to the LSK president, successive political actors have treated young people as disposable tools for advancing political interests, with violence becoming a commodity purchased during election periods.
“If we go even to the 90s, this element of goonism has always been there. Using the youth wing, revolution wing… it’s just rebranded into different forms or different names. But it’s just using young people as a commodity to perpetrate impunity as the currency. And the political actors are the buyers,” Odhiambo said.
She argued that Kenya’s focus has largely been on deploying police officers to respond to political violence while failing to dismantle the financial networks that allegedly bankroll such activities.
“Our country… we are struggling from a problem, not really a policing problem, but I would say it’s a political financing problem disguised or dressed as a policing issue,” she stated.
Violence Rocks Political Rallies
Odhiambo’s remarks came barely a day after violence disrupted political activities in Nyahururu and Kisumu, raising fresh concerns over security ahead of the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election scheduled for July 16, 2026.
In Nyahururu, individuals alleged to be hired goons disrupted a Linda Mwananchi rally attended by Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata, Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, coalition spokesperson Caroli Omondi, and other leaders.
The leaders were forced to flee after chaos erupted shortly after attending a church service at AIPCA Nyahururu Cathedral.
Governor Kang’ata later claimed that his driver, Gitari, had been shot during the incident, although the National Police Service subsequently disputed reports that any shooting had occurred.
Hours later, another political meeting in Kisumu attended by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Siaya Governor James Orengo was also cut short after violence broke out. Several motorcycles were set ablaze as the leaders abandoned their programme amid security concerns.
The incidents have heightened political tensions just days before voters head to the polls in the highly anticipated Ol Kalou by-election.
Kanini Kega Claims Convoy Came Under Attack
The debate intensified further on Monday, July 13, when East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) member Kanini Kega alleged that armed men he identified as police officers pursued his convoy after campaign activities in Ol Kalou.
In a video recorded from a house in Oljororok, Nyandarua County, Kega claimed the group pointed firearms at him before spraying his vehicle with bullets.
He further alleged that investigators had recovered a bullet and the butt of a firearm from the scene before handing the exhibits over to Kasuku Police Station.
Authorities had not publicly confirmed those claims by the time of publication.
“Poverty Is the Recruitment Centre”
Odhiambo maintained that widespread unemployment and economic hardship have made thousands of Kenyan youths easy targets for politicians seeking to mobilise violent groups.
“Goons are young people who are striving to make a dollar, striving to make a buck. Their poverty is the problem that we have in the country… You can make this amount of money in such a short period.”
She warned that while public anger is often directed at the youths involved, little attention is paid to those allegedly funding and coordinating the violence behind the scenes.
According to her, many of those recruited are educated and highly organised, meaning the problem will persist long after election campaigns end.
“After this season, where do you think they’ll go? They will not poof and disappear in the air. This will be a reality that the state will have to deal with at the end of the day.”
“Kenya Keeps Repeating the Same Mistakes”
The LSK president also criticised successive governments for failing to implement recommendations contained in landmark reports investigating political violence, including the Kriegler Report, Waki Report, the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) Report, and recommendations arising from the Kofi Annan-led mediation process following the 2007/08 post-election crisis.
“It’s like our state wants to see, we want to do the same script, play the same game and yet expect a different outcome. We’re just playing with the same fire.”
Political Blame Game Intensifies
Odhiambo’s comments come amid an escalating war of words between former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen over security in Ol Kalou.
Gachagua has accused the government of deploying security officers alongside criminal gangs to intimidate opposition supporters ahead of the by-election.
Murkomen has dismissed the allegations as political theatrics, insisting that anyone found engaging in violence—regardless of political affiliation—will be prosecuted.
As political temperatures continue to rise, Odhiambo insisted that Kenya will not eliminate election-related violence through policing alone, arguing that meaningful reforms must target the political financing networks and socioeconomic conditions that continue to fuel the recruitment of young people into organised political violence.
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