Observers warn of early goonism, institutional rot as political temperatures rise

The Election Observers Group has warned of the resurgence of organised thuggery and premature escalation of political tensions.

The observers expressed concern over what they described as "escalating election violence and goonism," noting that seeds of discord are being sown through early, illegal campaign activities and the blatant mobilisation of armed groups during public rallies.

During a stakeholders’ forum on 2027 election preparedness on Tuesday, Elog, under the Uchaguzi Platform, flagged the deteriorating security situation.

Represented by the Centre for Multiparty Democracy and Mzalendo Trust, the observers met the National Assembly Committee on Constitutional Implementation and Oversight to highlight a worrying trend of "goonism" and the open deployment of armed groups at political rallies.

They pointed to the chaotic scenes witnessed during by-elections in late 2025 as a grim precursor to what may lie ahead. These local contests were reportedly marred by blatant voter bribery, the harassment of independent observers, and the presence of organised criminal elements, all of which have combined to create an atmosphere of intimidation.

A central pillar of the observers' grievance is the disregard for official campaign timelines. Despite the 2027 elections remaining a distant prospect on the calendar, political actors have already plunged the country into a state of perpetual campaigning. This unauthorised activity is seen as a double-edged sword; it not only heightens political temperatures prematurely but also diverts critical national focus away from essential economic development.

The civil society leaders argued that this lawlessness is exacerbated by a vacuum in financial oversight, which locks out marginalised groups who cannot compete with the bottomless pockets of established political titans. In response, lawmakers proposed the need for robust legislative intervention as an urgent necessity for national stability.

"We need the campaign financing law to be put in place and the attendant regulations; otherwise, many young people and women will not be able to participate in elective politics because of the high cost of campaigns," Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee chairman Caroli Omondi said.

Beyond the immediate threat of physical violence, the integrity of the electoral infrastructure itself remains under scrutiny. The observers called for a rigorous sanitisation of the systems that govern the ballot box to prevent future disputes.

"We should have a proper audit of the voter register because some work was done by Elog and KPMG, and there were some gaps that were identified; we think we need to have a very thorough audit so that we have a clean voter register to avoid any disagreements in the future,” Omondi said.

Civil society has now placed the ball in the court of the legislators and security agencies, demanding that the "grim signals" of 2025 be met with immediate and decisive corrective action.

By raising these issues now, the lobbies are attempting to pre-empt a slide into the kind of widespread instability that has historically haunted the nation’s transition periods.