NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 6 – The government has intensified its crackdown on criminal gangs and organised violence, identifying 109 organised criminal gangs and groups operating across the country as Kenya prepares for the 2027 General Election.

📻 Breaking It Down

Internal Security Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said the government was particularly concerned about the use of organised youth groups for political intimidation, attacks and harassment.

He warned that the growing involvement of criminal groups in violence could undermine the rule of law, erode public confidence in state institutions and pose a serious security threat ahead of the elections.

The 109 groups identified by the government are an increase from the 89 criminal groups declared illegal in 2016 through Gazette Notice No. 10427.

📌 What You Need to Know

According to the government, 38 of the groups are based in Western Kenya, 22 in the Rift Valley, 20 in Nairobi, 12 in Nyanza, 11 at the Coast, three in Eastern, two in North Eastern and one in Central Kenya.

Omollo said security agencies arrested and arraigned 1,827 suspects for offences linked to goonism and organised criminal activity between January 1 and August 31, 2026.

During the same period, courts secured 729 convictions, with the Rift Valley accounting for 36.5 per cent of all convictions.

A further 716 cases remain before the courts, according to the government.

Omollo said the figures demonstrate that the government’s response extends beyond arrests to investigations, prosecution and convictions.

The government said security agencies have shifted their focus from individual offenders to the wider networks that facilitate and sustain organised criminal activity.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya