As Kenya gears up for the 2027 general elections, political violence—locally dubbed “goonism”—is rapidly escalating. Armed gangs wielding machetes and guns are increasingly breaking up political rallies and physically assaulting lawmakers. Opposition leaders accuse President William Ruto’s government of directly sponsoring the violence, pointing to his increasingly uncompromising and heavy-handed rhetoric following last year’s anti-tax protests. In contrast, Ruto’s administration has suggested that the violence is the handiwork of opposition politicians. While the rising violence grants political elites an avenue to intimidate their opponents, it threatens to undermine the nation’s institutional stability by depriving the masses of their democratic right to safe and fair political participation. Experts warn that without a dramatic de-escalation in rhetoric, the 2027 elections could mirror the catastrophic violence of 2007.
AP
