The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has sounded the alarm over rising political goonism, warning that gangs used to disrupt rallies and intimidate election officials could undermine Kenya’s democratic gains ahead of the 2027 General Election.
IEBC Vice Chairperson Fahima Araphat Abdallah said political violence remained one of the biggest threats facing the electoral process, particularly during the campaign period when tensions between rival political camps are expected to intensify.
Abdallah was speaking during the opening of a review workshop for the Electoral Security Arrangement Programme, bringing together the National Police Service, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Judiciary, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority.
She said the Commission would not hesitate to punish politicians and candidates who violate electoral rules, regardless of their political influence or standing.
“The campaign period is the most volatile in the election cycle,” Abdallah said, noting that campaigns for the 2027 election will run from May 29 to August 7.
She said the IEBC would enforce the Electoral Code of Conduct and impose sanctions against offenders, including fines, restrictions from using public media, bans from public meetings and exclusion from specified areas.
But it was her warning over the use of gangs in political contests that stood out.
“There is a rising tide of goonism threatening Kenya’s democratic gains,” Abdallah said.
She warned that the Commission would respond firmly when political actors deploy gangs to disrupt rallies, invade polling stations or intimidate electoral officials.
“When political actors invade polling stations or rallies with gangs to stop campaigns and intimidate staff, we must act swiftly,” she said.
The warning comes as political activity begins to build ahead of the 2027 elections, with parties and political formations increasingly positioning themselves for what is expected to be a fiercely contested presidential and parliamentary race.
The IEBC said its response would go beyond dealing with violence after it occurs. It plans to strengthen cooperation between electoral officials, security agencies, prosecutors and the Judiciary to ensure threats are identified and dealt with before they escalate.
The Commission also plans to train more than 200,000 police officers and IEBC officials on election rules and public order management.
The training will be accompanied by strengthened regulations, closer coordination in investigations and prosecutions, and integrated early-warning and response mechanisms.
Abdallah said the objective was to create a coordinated security system capable of responding quickly to threats during campaigns, on election day and in the period after results are announced.
Commissioner Hassan Noor Hassan, who chairs the IEBC Election Security and Electoral Risks Management Committee, said the workshop offered an opportunity to examine weaknesses exposed during previous elections and by-elections and develop a stronger security strategy for 2027.
“The success of the 2027 elections depends on our collective effort. The future of our nation depends on it,” Hassan said.
He warned that recent by-elections had demonstrated how quickly political competition could descend into violence, making early risk assessment and proactive deployment of security personnel critical.
“The Commission will not tolerate violence, intimidation or interference. Let us work together to ensure the 2027 elections are free, fair, peaceful and credible,” he said.
The IEBC’s tough stance also signals a potentially more aggressive enforcement regime as the country heads into the election cycle.
The Commission said it had already demonstrated its willingness to sanction candidates through significant fines and warned that repeat or serious breaches could attract harsher penalties, including disqualification or cancellation of results.
The challenge will be ensuring that the rules are applied consistently across the political divide.
With campaigns expected to generate heightened competition for political power, the deployment of youth gangs and political violence could become a major test of the country’s electoral institutions.
The IEBC is therefore seeking to ensure that security agencies, prosecutors, courts and electoral officials are working from the same playbook before the political temperature rises.
The review of the Electoral Security Arrangement Programme is intended to establish that framework and ensure that election security is treated as a joint responsibility rather than an issue left to the electoral commission or police alone.
For the IEBC, the message is clear: political competition will be allowed, but intimidation, violence and disruption of the electoral process will attract consequences.
The Commission now faces the harder task of turning that warning into enforcement capable of surviving the intense political pressure expected during the 2027 campaign.
