Crack down on gangs to enable credible elections

There are already worrying signals as the country braces for next year’s General Election, with security agencies concerned about criminal mobilisation through the recruitment of gangs and goons to unleash violence.

This poses a critical threat ahead of the August 10 elections. Civil society organisations and State security agencies have flagged a dangerous trend of early political mobilisation targeting vulnerable populations for exploitation by politicians. The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has documented 284 incidents of political violence nationwide, resulting in dozens of deaths and thousands of injuries during premature campaigning.

Nearly 50 deaths have been attributed to the police. These findings raise questions about voter safety, freedom to campaign and the credibility of the vote.

The KHRC has warned that violence, intimidation and interference with civic freedoms are bound to intensify. Incidents recorded between January 1 and July 31 affected 3,222 people.

They ranged from physical assault and arbitrary arrests to the suppression of protests, enforced disappearances and attacks on the media. Although implicated, the National Police Service denies culpability. A Ministry of Interior report indicates that known illegal gangs have risen from 89 to 109.

The highest concentration is in western Kenya, the Rift Valley and Nairobi. Some civil society groups have moved to the High Court, seeking orders compelling the State to establish a multi-agency task force to prosecute political financiers and organisers of election violence. True deterrence hinges on security organs targeting financiers rather than youth unleashing violence. As the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has rightly stated, “a credible election should be free of violence”.

The IEBC and national security agencies must enable free and fair elections so that the true verdicts of voters emerge from the grassroots to the highest office in the land: the presidency.

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