Inside the return of militias, political violence

State sponsored goons along Koinange street during Justice For Albert Ojwang Protests on June 17, 2025. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]

The camaraderie of police officers and goons terrorising unarmed civilians while picketing has rekindled chilling memories of the pain inflicted by militias in the recent past formed by politicians to torment their opponents.

There are numerous abandoned gangs and out of luck and idle members, discarded by their patrons after outliving their usefulness. Such groups include the proscribed Mungiki sect that reigned terror in Mt Kenya, Nairobi business community in Nairobi, Sungusungu and Chinkororo, in Kisii.

Others are Nakuru’s Confirm Nyuki, Miticharaka and Bogi Mawe and KIsumu’s 42 brothers as well as Mombasa Republican Council. Such gangs enjoyed the blessings and patronage of powerful politicians whose aim was to counter criminal gangs or ‘protect property during protests.’

After the gangs achieve their mission, the political masters, who usually pay them, step out. The rudderless groups then start harassing innocent citizens and collecting taxes. In some instances, they radicalize teenagers to join their movement.

Analysts now warn that the recent scenes witnessed in the city of goons wielding machetes and wooden sticks to counter peaceful protestors while chanting pro-government slogans and praising Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, was recipe for chaos.

They say the use of militia or gangs may haunt those bankrolling the gangs as they questioned the motive by the government to deploy Kenyan police officers in Haiti, while goons make Kenya their paradise.

The opposition led by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said they were alarmed by the emergence of a dangerous and illegal alliance between the police and the goons. “What is also now clear is the Kenya led Haiti Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission, was not a peacekeeping mission, but a benchmarking trip, by Ruto on the use of Militia to terrorise a nation on taxpayer’s money,” the Opposition leaders claim.

They say it was not a coincidence that the guns Kenya police were using were similar to the ones supplied to the RSF Militia in Sudan by Kenyan backers even as they wondered why the police hid their badge and wore masks while trailing the protestors and asked why they participated in looting private property.

“Ruto not only continues to contravene the Constitution, but all international laws and conventions, including the Rome Statute signed and ratified by Kenya,” they said.

At the same time, the opposition claimed they have been collecting evidence and that their teams were currently compiling the same to hand over the ICC prosecutor.

Separately former Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu condemned use of militia to manage politics. “When Raila swore himself there was an entire structure where goons did press conferences wearing American combats saying the government had failed to protect them,” he said.

He added: “Police know they can’t win a fight between them and the protestors. The logic is to introduce conflict between the groups of demonstrators and allow the police to chase all the groups.”

He said in the past the government used university students to infiltrate demos and create conflict. “When police realise they can’t win in a face-off with demonstrators, they resort to indirect tactics—using goons to provoke violence. Haiti didn’t collapse overnight. When state systems fail, rogue officers link up with goons and form militias. That’s how countries fall. We are on a dangerous path,” Wambugu said in a podcast.

Political analyst Gitile Naituli said the government should revise its strategy to counter demos, saying instead of using excessive force, the State ought to provide platforms to the protesters to air their grievances.

“A caring government must listen to the cry of their people, but when State results to using criminal gangs to work with police to silence critics, it shows signs of a failed State, the government is rearing a monster that they will not be able to stop as it will result to maiming and killing Kenyans when they stop receiving financial assistance from their masters,” Prof Naituli warned.