Clergy: 2027 elections may be flawed if goons are not tamed

Anglican Church of Kenya Archbishop  Jackson Ole Sapit leads a cleansing and prayer service at the All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi following an attack by goons during a post-budget analysis forum on July 22, 2026. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard]

The clergy has warned that the 2027 General Election may not be free and fair if the goon culture is not dealt with as soon as possible.

Led by Anglican Church Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit, the clergy argue that the culture of goonism that is taking root in Kenya will not yield the desires and the dreams for the country.

The remarks come a day after President William Ruto, for the third time warned that his administration will not allow criminal gangs and goons to hijack demonstrations and terrorise Kenyans, noting security agencies have been directed to deal with them.

In widely circulated clips, armed goons riding high-end vehicles and rifles were captured roaming the constituency in an attempt to sabotage the by-elections on June 16, 2026.

“Yesterday I was in a talk show, and we had a conversation about whether Kenya is ready for the coming election, with a heavy presence of intimidation and goons attacks in every meeting and gathering in the country,” Ole Sapit said

"We have made elections in Kenya a matter of death and life, which should not be the case. Actually, we are degenerating our country into a state of lawlessness," the archbishop added

The archbishop was speaking on Wednesday after leading A cleansing and prayer service of facilities at the All Saints Cathedral following last month's attack by goons on members of the public attending a post-budget analysis forum at the Cathedral.

On the material day, June 12, 2026, armed goons stormed into the church where several people from different civil society organisations were attending a post-budget review forum and disrupted the meeting.

As if working under instructions, the goons who were earlier dropped by motorcycles not far from the church pounced on attendants with some of them snatching handbags and mobile phones from women as other people scampered for safety.

This immediately attracted uproar from Kenyans forcing police to swing to action and arrested one person who was later released after confessing that they were instructed by senior government officials.

The goons said to be about 30 stormed into the church compound and managed to access some holy places including prayer rooms and conference halls.

Thus, during the cleansing service on Wednesday, Ole Sapit and his assistants held an hour-long service culminating in blessing the halls and announcing that they were now sanctified for worshippers.

"We are gathered here at St Nicholas chapel to restore what the devil had destroyed and what the evil one profaned through unholy invasion of this chapel on 12th June 2026," Ole Sapit declared

Adding that, "So may God bless us today as we gather and worship and restore these places and our prayer is restoration of the hearts of people, including those perpetrators that when they change there is an opportunity they can become like Paul."

According to the church, more than one month since the attack, no one has been held to account even after reports emerged that the goons were sent by known individuals who were uncomfortable with post-budget analysis.

"No response has been given to us. And our request, even when I made a public pronouncement and statement, is that we do not only want to see goons arrested, we want to see all of the goons displayed, and we need to be told who and what intention they had in attacking the Church of Jesus Christ," the archbishop said

In a message directed to President Ruto to walk the talk in dealing with impunity, Sapit said a lot of things happening in the country were disturbing.

“To our leadership, talking without action will not yield to anything. Let us take the right action and the first action that is needed and Kenyans are waiting is an apprehension of those people who are hooded in private, who are displayed in broad daylight,” the archbishop appealed

At the same time, he noted that in the ongoing hearings on the murder of Alber Ojwang, Kenyans need to see the apprehension of those who are perpetrators and those who are the planners of it.

“That will restore public confidence. But the Kenyan people, we need to be sober as Kenyans. Let us not play into the hands of those who want to cause anarchy in our nation,”

On the just concluded by elections, the church said it was worrying that hundreds of security officers were deployed but goons infiltrated the peaceful exercise.

“The police were mobilized, over a thousand of them, to protect citizens and Kenyans in that space during the election day. And the message from the CS Interior and the IG is, we are securing that day to be peaceful and to be peaceable,” the archbishop sated

Pointing out, “what we saw is almost the reverse of that, because men hooded in turbans invaded that space. And they were shooting and lobbying tear gas on innocent Kenyans, dispersing them. No arrests so far today,”