Kenya: Nationwide Crackdown Ordered On Gangs

What the report says

AllAfrica, citing a Capital FM report from Nairobi dated July 23, 2026, said Kenya’s Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has ordered police and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to step up nationwide operations against criminal gangs. Murkomen said authorities had broad public backing to act firmly against what he described as “goons,” and directed Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and detectives to use available technology and resources to dismantle such networks.

According to the report, Murkomen argued that concerns about gang activity had been amplified by political competition, while also acknowledging that politicians have historically used private guards or hired groups that later became violent. He alleged that leaders across the political divide had relied on such groups during political events, and specifically linked some violence during the 2024 anti-government protests to mobilization by politicians, including impeached former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. These claims were presented as Murkomen’s assertions.

Murkomen said the government arrested more than 3,000 suspects during the 2024 and 2025 protests, though he complained that many were released by courts on personal bonds or low cash bail. He also said some religious leaders who had previously defended arrested suspects were now supporting tougher action, which he portrayed as important public endorsement for police operations.

The Interior CS praised recent security actions in Busia, Kitale, Nyeri, Meru and Kikuyu, saying they had helped restore calm. He also defended arrests of people accused of organizing violence, including a lawmaker charged with terrorism-related offences, and urged politicians not to portray enforcement as partisan targeting when suspects linked to political parties are arrested.