Kenya: Organized Gang Attacks in Lead-Up to Elections

The useful part

Click to expand Image Opposition politician Edwin Sifuna speaks during a rally in Nyandiwo, Homa Bay county, Kenya, on August 16, 2026. © 2026 Linda Mwananchi Media (Nairobi) – Criminal gangs in Kenya have carried out a spate of violent attacks targeting civil society and opposition gatherings ahead of the 2027 elections, Human Rights Watch said today. The Kenyan authorities should ensure prompt and transparent investigations into the attacks and that people can exercise their political rights without fear of violence.

How it works

• Between August 30 and September 9, Human Rights Watch interviewed 22 Kenyans, including nongovernmental organization workers, journalists, a Kenya National Human Rights Commission commissioner, and...
• Over the last few months, groups of unidentified armed people have attacked a civil society event and several opposition political gatherings across the country, reportedly killing at least six people and...
• The authorities do not appear to have taken meaningful steps to ensure accountability for these abuses.
• "The authorities need to break this cycle of violence by ensuring that those responsible cannot act with impunity." The elections, in which President William Ruto is expected to seek a new term, are...
• Both President Ruto and opposition candidates have already held rallies across the country, with more planned in the coming weeks.

What to take from it

On June 12, a group of men violently disrupted a civil society meeting at A...