Outraged Kenyans Question Who Was Behind Hired Goons In Yesterday’s ‘Maandamano

Yesterday’s protests in Nairobi took a grave and unsettling turn as eyewitnesses and widely circulated footage revealed a brazen collaboration between police officers and unidentified, armed individuals, commonly referred to as “goons.” In a scene that has shocked the nation, these hired gangs, arriving on motorbikes and armed with clubs, whips, and crude weapons, terrorized innocent passers-by and protestors, seemingly under the direct patronage of security forces.

The “Service to all” slogan of the National Police Service (NPS) appeared to be flagrantly disregarded, as uniformed officers stood by, and at times, seemed to coordinate with these armed civilians. Like “comrades-at-arms,” police and the goons worked side-by-side, with the gangs taking frontline positions in confronting demonstrators.

The hired individuals appeared empowered and emboldened, directly clashing with protestors while law enforcement officers maintained a presence that many observers describe as complicit. This collaboration functioned as a disturbingly seamless integration of two distinct forces, seemingly united in a common goal: to suppress protests in Nairobi.

This armed arrangement emerges just days after Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja publicly hinted at decisive action to keep protestors off the city streets.

“This country must be a country under the rule of law. Let them not try again—they’ll find me in town!” Sakaja had previously stated.

The collaboration between police and these allegedly hired elements marks a dangerous deterioration in the country’s approach to managing public order. The lines between lawful enforcement and outright thuggery were disturbingly blurred, with these goons effectively assuming police roles under the supervision of the police themselves.

Such an alliance between law enforcement and civilian thugs echoes disturbing precedents from past protests in areas like Kakamega, Kericho, and Uasin Gishu, where seemingly hired civilians similarly appeared with new crude weapons to confront anti-government demonstrators.

Today’s revelations mark a dangerous descent for the rule of law in Kenya. Critics warn that such brazen acts of “policing by proxy” risk undermining public trust in institutions and creating an environment where accountability for violence becomes impossible. The lack of immediate arrests or clear disavowal of these “goons” by high-ranking officials raises serious questions about who ultimately orchestrated and sanctioned their involvement.