Kenya's Chief Justice Martha Koome has called on law enforcement to pursue the people who fund and organise gangs of political thugs, rather than focusing arrests on the young men who carry out the violence. According to The Star, Kenya, she made the remarks on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, at the launch of the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) Strategic Plan 2026–2030.
Koome said those bankrolling and recruiting the groups should be charged with serious offences, including organised crime, arguing that they are the ones keeping the violence going.
Why it matters
The Chief Justice's intervention comes as Kenya heads toward the 2027 general election, with the country's electoral calendar already counting down. The Star, Kenya reports that Koome described the rise in political violence as a threat to Kenyans' ability to exercise their democratic rights, especially the right to vote.
Her remarks also touch on how the justice system handles the two ends of political violence: the young men at the bottom, who often face lighter charges, and the organisers at the top, who rarely appear in court at all.
A call to follow the money
Koome framed the issue in blunt terms, according to The Star, Kenya, describing the gangs as young people who are being sustained by others. She said the sponsors are the ones who should answer for the growing number of violent incidents.
She pointed out that those arrested for direct involvement in violence typically face relatively minor charges. Under the law, she said, courts grant bail or bond in such cases. That, in her view, is precisely why investigators should move up the chain to the organisers, who can be charged with more serious offences.
The Chief Justice said the Judiciary would treat cases against organisers seriously once they reach the courts. She also noted that the Judiciary has gazetted a Serious Crime Division of the High Court, which she said will help handle serious criminal cases.
Koome suggested the networks behind the violence are not hard to trace. The Star, Kenya reports that she noted Kenya has only about 1,800 elective political positions, which she said makes the field easy to map. She asked who is bankrolling the goons, urging security agencies to examine the financial and organisational links behind the groups.
Courts promise neutrality ahead of 2027
Koome also used the platform to assure Kenyans that the Judiciary has no preferred candidate in the political contest. She said its role is to protect the rule of law and to ensure citizens can take part in elections without intimidation.
She warned that political violence could erode the rights and freedoms guaranteed to citizens, and said the Judiciary is committed to keeping Kenya under the rule of law and the constitution. Working together, she said, institutions can make the country safe and secure for everyone.
The Chief Justice further urged stakeholders to keep supporting the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) as preparations for the 2027 polls continue.
What to watch: whether police and prosecutors act on the call by bringing organised crime charges against alleged sponsors, and how the new Serious Crime Division handles such cases as the election approaches.
