UASIN GISHU, Kenya – With the August 10, 2027 General Election on the horizon, human rights activists in the North Rift region have petitioned the government, through the Interior Ministry, to crack down on goons operating in the area.
In Kenya, the term “goons” primarily refers to organised, politically backed youths and hired vigilante gangs mobilised to disrupt political rallies, intimidate opposition figures, and infiltrate civil demonstrations or anniversaries (such as the widespread Gen Z protests).
Led by Kimutai Kirui, the executive director of the Centre Against Torture, primarily operating in Eldoret and the wider North Rift region, the activists also accused the government of complicity in goon deployment.
“In this country—and, indeed, in Uasin Gishu County in particular—the word ‘goon’ has lost all meaning. It is no longer a description of criminal conduct; it is a political label. Those aligned with various political camps are conveniently absorbed into the machinery of power. That is not law enforcement; it is selective labelling dressed up as principle,” explained Kirui.
Kirui accused a section of top political leaders in Uasin Gishu of sponsoring goons to instil fear in their opponents as the country warms up to the forthcoming polls.
The underworld of goon deployment in Eldoret
In a statement, Kirui emphasised that every political candidate must be free to campaign and compete on a level playing field, with the rule of law applied impartially and without fear or favour.
“In Uasin Gishu County, two senior politicians have lethal goons and ghost workers on the county payroll. These goons are stationed in the Eldoret Central Business District (CBD) and are ferried to public rallies and official functions. Most walk to where groups listen in and report or even cause trouble,” Kirui added.
According to Kirui, these goons extort members of the business community in Eldoret City and harass small and medium-sized traders and county government employees.
“They do these to the point of forcing some of these county workers out of office, allegedly with the assistance of the police. These goons are a visible presence and are often seen operating closely with officers at Eldoret Police Station,” Kirui further claimed.
The mobilisation of these groups constitutes a sophisticated, informal system often referred to as the “goon economy”. It thrives on structural marginalisation and high youth unemployment, where marginalised youth from informal settlements are recruited for money and discarded after executing disruptions.
Reports of new CCIO deployment to Uasin Gishu County
Kirui’s remarks come when there are claims of an incoming Uasin Gishu County Criminal Investigations Officer (CCIO) to replace Daniel Muleli, who leads the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in the county and is stationed in Eldoret.
“A section of goons in the Eldoret CBD and political mobilisers affiliated to senior politicians are reportedly celebrating the expected posting of a new CCIO to Uasin Gishu County. According to sources said to be close to a personal assistant to a Cabinet secretary and individuals associated with the group, there is a belief that the incoming officer has been given specific instructions on how to operate in Uasin Gishu, mostly around politics,” Kirui further explained.
According to Kirui, from the activists’ standpoint, any public officer can serve in any part of Kenya, including their home county, provided there is no conflict of interest.
“Professionalism, impartiality, and fidelity to the law are what ultimately matter and describe an officer,” added Kirui.
Kirui also disclosed that before his promotion to CCIO, Uasin Gishu, the officer served as the Sub-County Criminal Investigations Officer (SCCIO) in Trans Nzoia West, based in Kitale Town.
“We welcome the new CCIO to Uasin Gishu and wish him success in the discharge of his constitutional and statutory responsibilities. Those celebrating in the belief that the appointment will protect criminal elements should temper their expectations,” he cautioned.
Civil rights and religious groups gang up against goons
The government, Kirui reiterated, has consistently stated its commitment to dismantling organised criminal gangs and violent groups.
“A county criminal investigations officer is expected to uphold the law impartially and cannot lawfully serve the interests of criminal networks or politically affiliated goons. The people of Uasin Gishu will judge the new CCIO not by speculation or political narratives, but by his professionalism, independence, and commitment to enforcing the law fairly and without fear or favour,” explained Kirui.
In his own words, Kirui, widely recognised for his public interest litigation and grassroots advocacy, having handled thousands of cases ranging from police brutality and corruption to assisting vulnerable widows in land disputes, went on:
“We ask DCI to arrest these goons and many more whose files have been concluded but arrests not yet executed. Most of these goons have been used to evict the business community out of the Eldoret CBD and business premises.”
The infiltration of criminal elements into civic spaces continues to prompt serious pushback from activists like Kirui and the government. Both civil rights organisations and religious leaders frequently document rogue police and violent infiltrators at political gatherings to hold them accountable.
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