By Bonface Mulyungi
Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Charles Kanjama has called for firm action against individuals behind the growing cases of politically-linked goonism in the country, insisting that both perpetrators and their sponsors must be held accountable regardless of their status.
In a post on X, Kanjama said the rise in violence involving criminal gangs and politically mobilised youth could only be addressed through sustained investigations targeting not only those carrying out attacks, but also those financing and coordinating them.
“The effective way to address the growth of goonism, whether by members of NPS or by irregular groups, is to pursue accountability for the perpetrators and particularly their sponsors, accessories and principals, with bulldog tenacity, until they are held to account,” Kanjama stated.
He added that the LSK would work together with human rights defenders and civil society organisations to push for accountability, saying the country had reached a point where decisive action was needed to stop politically-sponsored violence.
“This Law Society of Kenya will undertake henceforth, in coordination with human rights defenders and civil society organisations. It is time we said enough to the goonism phenomenon and meant it,” he added.
Kanjama’s remarks come amid growing political tensions over claims that rival political camps are sponsoring gangs to disrupt public events and intimidate opponents.
The debate intensified after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen directed Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to deploy a special police unit to crack down on criminal gangs allegedly being used by politicians to cause chaos in different parts of the country.
Murkomen accused some political leaders of arming and mobilising youths to fuel unrest and violence for political gain.
“Time for talking is over. I have told the Inspector General to send a special team to come here and sweep away those gangs. They are harming people here in Trans Nzoia,” Murkomen said during a tour in Nandi County on April 12, 2026.
Murkomen also claimed that some politicians were orchestrating violence during their own political gatherings in order to gain public sympathy and later blame the government for insecurity.
“Politicians are the quickest ones. They sponsor goons and are quick to say that the CS and the PS must resign. How do you expect the police to provide security when you send goons to attack them with clubs?” he posed.
Opposition leaders, on the other hand, have maintained that state agencies and individuals linked to the government are behind attacks witnessed at opposition events, arguing that security agencies have failed to act against perpetrators.
