Transparency International condemns disruption of post-budget dialogue forum
By Faith Lagat, June 12, 2026Transparency International Kenya (TI-Kenya) has condemned the violent disruption of a post-budget dialogue forum held at All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi by suspected goons.
The forum, organised in collaboration with civil society organisations including the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and The Institute for Social Accountability (TISA Kenya), brought together citizens, faith leaders, private sector actors and policy experts to review the 2026/2027 national budget.
The meeting assessed the extent to which the Ksh 4.82 trillion budget read by Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi on June 11 addressed public priorities such as cost of living, health, education, agriculture and debt sustainability.
TI-Kenya said the incident disrupted lawful civic engagement aimed at evaluating government fiscal plans and citizen participation in budgeting processes.
TI-Kenya statement
In a statement posted on its official X account, TI-Kenya said: “Earlier today, state-hired goons stormed a Post-Budget Dialogue Forum at All Saints Cathedral, Nairobi… The meeting sought to assess how well the budget addressed citizen concerns. One of the assailants was arrested, upon which he stated that a government official had sent them. The goons stole some valuables, including a phone, during the incident.”
The organisation further stated: “We condemn this act of intimidation and assert that it will not deter us from scrutinising the budget. We will continue to demand that the interests of the people of Kenya be at the forefront.”
TISA Kenya also condemned the incident, stating: “Goons cannot silence the people’s voice,” describing the disruption as an attack on democracy and constitutional rights.
Security response and reactions from civil society
Preliminary reports indicated that chaos broke out inside the venue as individuals disrupted proceedings and reportedly took mobile phones and recording devices from participants. Police officers are reported to have fired shots into the air to disperse the attackers, and arrested one suspect at the scene.
Civil society organisations called for accountability following claims made by the arrested individual, urging authorities to address the allegations raised during investigations.
The budget under discussion includes allocations to key sectors such as education, health, infrastructure and agriculture, but has also faced scrutiny over fiscal deficits and domestic borrowing levels.
Civil society groups have maintained that they will continue participating in budget oversight processes, emphasizing the constitutional role of public participation in governance and fiscal accountability.