MP Nelson Koech: Political leaders are protected by goons
By Ndiritu Wanjiru, July 13, 2026Belgut Member of Parliament Nelson Koech has stated that political leaders across Kenya are protected by goons, arguing that the practice is widespread and urging politicians from all sides of the political divide to abandon it.
Speaking in an interview with a local TV station on Monday, July 13, 2026, Koech said the problem cuts across all political camps and should not be used to target one side alone. He said leaders must collectively take responsibility for ending the culture of relying on such groups, warning that it portrays a negative image to the public.
He argued that leaders must collectively take responsibility for ending the culture of relying on groups of youths to provide security or disrupt political activities.
“Even yesterday, the team that went to Nyahururu also had their goons. We are all protected by goons, and that is why I am saying we must also agree as leaders that we must also drop this thing of goons,” Koech said.
The legislator maintained that the continued use of such groups sends the wrong message to the public and undermines efforts to foster peaceful political engagement.
“We are showing a very bad example. All leaders must immediately drop their goons because all leaders have their goons,” he added.
Calls for political responsibility
Koech’s remarks come at a time when allegations of political violence, intimidation, and the use of hired gangs have dominated public discourse following recent political rallies and the ongoing campaigns for the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election.
Several leaders from both the Kenya Kwanza and opposition camps have traded accusations over the deployment of goons to disrupt political meetings and intimidate supporters.
His comments suggest that addressing the issue will require a bipartisan commitment rather than blaming individual political formations.
Kisumu and Nyahururu chaos
Koech’s remarks come against the backdrop of recent incidents of political violence witnessed in Kisumu and Nyahururu. In Kisumu, rival political camps traded accusations after violence disrupted political activities, while in Nyahururu, tensions flared during the Ol Kalou by-election campaigns amid claims that hired groups had been deployed to intimidate opponents and interfere with campaign events.
The incidents have renewed concerns over the resurgence of politically motivated violence, with leaders and civil society groups calling for restraint and urging politicians to ensure their supporters conduct themselves peacefully