A parliamentary committee has raised the alarm over the increasing use of gangs in Kenyan politics ahead of the 2027 elections, warning that the trend poses a significant threat to national security. Across the country, reports have emerged of hired youth groups disrupting public meetings, intimidating political opponents, and clashing with law enforcement.

“If anyone needs security, they should go through the proper channels – either the National Government Administration Officers or the police,” one lawmaker stated, criticizing the practice of hiring private gangs as personal guards. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen blamed political leaders for fueling the crisis, saying that they pose the greatest threat to national security when they “organize young people into goons instead of creating opportunities for them”.