The Truth Behind Nairobi's Hired Gangs | The Index Podcast

Organized criminal gangs were deployed by politicians to counter peaceful protests in Nairobi in June, triggering worries of violence in Kenya ahead of the 2027 general elections.

On June 25, gangs unleashed terror on people, who took to the streets in a peaceful march to commemorate the lives of 60 people who were killed one year earlier, in a historic Gen Z uprising against punitive taxes. Just a week earlier, on June 18, gangs had also violently confronted protesters demanding justice for Alfred Ojwang, a 31-year-old teacher and political blogger who died in police custody. While mainstream media calls them "hired goons", evidence shows these were organised gangs, funded and protected by powerful politicians to silence dissent.

We speak to Ken Opala, who went out and talked to police, gang members, and security officials about what happened - and who was really behind it.

Check out Ken's article: Ghosts of violence past: Hired gangs unleashed on demonstrators in Nairobi

Learn more about criminality in Kenya on the Global Organized Crime Index.

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