With the 2027 elections beckoning and the threat of goonsim rising in the country, there is a call for tighter scrutiny of politicians as financiers of the goons’ culture and punitive fines for those involved and those funding.
The Judiciary and the police seem to be reading from different scripts on how to handle such cases. Chief Justice Martha Koome is now cautioning against shielding financiers of the goons’ culture saying the judiciary has set up special courts to deal with serious or organized crimes that attract harsh sentences.
CJ Koome’s remarks came as the Director of Criminal Investigations Mohammed Amin, representing Inspector General Douglas Kanja, noted that the courts were releasing apprehended goons with very basic fines.
According to DCI Amin, this slap on the wrist for the goons encourages the growth of the trend.
Their remarks are on the back drop of a new report – administration of Justice in Kenya annual report 2025/2026 that has shown crime rate, mainly fueled by the goons’ culture has gone up to 157%
In his presentation, the National Council of Administrative Justice Executive Director Dr. Moses Marang’a noted that the last year saw a sharp increase in crime involvement, requiring justice players to collaborate and address the issue.
CJ Koome noted that the country’s election preparedness heavily depended on how justice system players prepared themselves, insisting all crucial players must act decisively to avert a full-blown war as the goons’ culture is entrenched mostly by politicians.
The Council of Governors chairperson and Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki noted the rise in politicians using goons but warned against insisting it is solely a politician’s tool, acknowledging that other players, including businessmen are using goons, thus contributing to the rise.
Governor Njuki, however, said county bosses have discussed the issue and committed to calling out colleagues who may be linked to goonism.
DCI Mohammed Amin says 1,827 goons have been arrested and presented to court from January to August. Of these, there have been 729 convictions while 716 cases are ongoing.
He notes that Western Kenya and Rift Valley are leading in propagating the goons’ culture with about 491 goons arrested coming from Trans Nzoia.
DCI Amin has also shown worry in the rise of gangs in the country with police records indicating that gangs have grown from 89 to 109.
Though accused of immediate inaction and shielding political players propagating the vices, the DCI, speaking on behalf of IG Kanja, noted that the service is employing fresh mechanisms to tame the rise in crime. These include introducing individual accountability for officers who fail to arrest or tame the goons’ culture, as well as digitizing systems to enhance service delivery.
The DCI committed, on behalf of the police service to pursue politicians whom they accuse of financing goons but have not yet arrested.
On their part, the Council of Governors wants prosecutorial powers taken away in 2024 reinstated to enable enforcement officers to deal with penalties arising from county assemblies’ legislation.
The leaders spoke during the launch of three critical reports by the National Council on Administrative Justice (NCAJ), a body headed by the Chief Justice that brings together key justice players.
The reports are – The NCAJ Strategic Plan 2026 – 2030, the end – term review report of the NCAJ strategic plan 2021 – 2026, the administration of justice in Kenyan annual report 2025/2026 and discussions and action plans for the National Child Justice Service Month 2026
