Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta has warned against the resurgence of political goonism and hired gangs disrupting political activities, terming it a dangerous precursor to electoral violence ahead of the August 2027 General Election.
Speaking on Sunday, August 23, 2026, in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County, Kenyatta cautioned that failure to arrest the trend now could plunge the country into a familiar cycle of intimidation, intolerance and bloodshed reminiscent of Kenya's darkest electoral periods.
Politicians seeking votes should allow Kenyans to make their choices without coercion, Uhuru said, urging issue-based campaigns anchored on peace and democratic tolerance.
"Tuhubiri yale ambaye tuko naye kwa amani. Hii mambo ya kuzuia wengine kufanya mikutano, ya kufanya nini, ya kufanya nini, ni kurudisha Kenya nyuma. Na tunataka kusonga mbele," he said.
Uhuru said political leaders should seek votes with humility instead of trying to force their way into office through intimidation and organized violence.
"Kama unataka kura omba, omba kwa unyenyekevu. Wananchi watakupatia ama wakunyime. Hata mimi niliomba na nikanyimwa. Nikarudi tena nikaomba nikapewa. Ama ni namna gani?" he posed, in reference to his own political journey where he lost the 2002 contest before winning in 2013 and 2017.
The former President's warning comes against the backdrop of a worrying surge in incidents where organized youth groups armed with crude weapons have been used to disrupt public meetings, church services and opposition rallies across the country.
In recent months, cases of goonism have dominated headlines, including the brutal assault of Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi in Kisumu, disruption of a church service at St Stephen Anglican Church in Kisumu attended by Linda Mwananchi leaders, and deadly chaos witnessed during the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election in Nyandarua where one person was killed.
Uhuru stated that attempts to stop rival political groups from holding meetings would undermine democratic participation and push the country backwards, noting that such tactics have no place in a modern democracy.
"Na watu wasiseme ya kwamba yale ambaye nasema mimi naingilia siasa," he said, appearing to reject suggestions that his comments on political developments amount to interference in active politics.
The former Head of State maintained that speaking out against violence, intolerance and anarchy is not partisan politics but a patriotic duty to safeguard Kenya's hard-won democratic space.
His remarks come as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has vowed a ruthless crackdown on political goonism ahead of 2027, with Chairperson Erastus Ethekon warning that candidates found sponsoring violence risk fines, disqualification and even cancellation of results in affected areas.
