NAIROBI, Kenya — Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit has challenged the government to match its rhetoric with decisive action in tackling the growing menace of politically linked goonism, warning that continued inaction risks plunging the country deeper into lawlessness.
Speaking during the restoration of St Nicholas Chapel at All Saints’ Cathedral in Nairobi on Wednesday, Ole Sapit said repeated government warnings against criminal gangs would do little to restore public confidence unless those responsible for sponsoring and carrying out acts of violence are identified and prosecuted.
The chapel was among the facilities targeted during an invasion by armed goons in June, an incident that sparked widespread condemnation from religious leaders and civil society groups.
“If they want to regain public trust, action must be taken. We were attacked last month; the case is in court. We want to see goons arrested and the identity of those who sent them. This culture must be brought to an end,” Ole Sapit said.
The Archbishop questioned whether the government still has effective control over law enforcement, arguing that the increasing presence of violent gangs has eroded public confidence in state institutions.
“Who is in charge of law and order, the police or the goons? The culture has heightened; we have seen everything displayed; we even saw what happened to Albert Ojwang’, no justice for the family. We have not seen justice, especially for the masterminds,” he said.
Ole Sapit maintained that the use of sponsored violence to settle political disputes undermines democracy and threatens national stability.
He urged young people not to allow themselves to be recruited into criminal gangs for political purposes, encouraging them instead to exercise their democratic rights through the ballot.
“The culture of goonism will not give us the dreams and desires. With the economic hardships, it will make it harder. We are descending into a state of lawlessness,” he said.
The Archbishop also referenced the recent Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, where hooded men were captured on video confronting opposition supporters during the campaign period.
“In Ol Kalou, police were mobilized. The message is that we are securing, what we saw was the opposite. Hooded men were shooting and dispersing them, yet no arrests were made,” he said.
His remarks come amid ongoing investigations into violent incidents reported during the by-election, with opposition leaders accusing individuals linked to the ruling party of orchestrating the attacks. The allegations have not been proven in court.
During the June invasion of All Saints’ Cathedral, one of the alleged participants told Citizen TV that the group had been promised Sh2,000 each to take part in the operation and claimed they acted with the support of plainclothes police officers. Those claims have not been independently verified.
Ole Sapit’s comments come a day after President William Ruto directed security agencies to intensify efforts to eliminate criminal gangs, describing the rise of violent youth groups as a growing threat to national security and economic development.
“Now that we have a consensus, our security agencies must do their job within the law, and they must stop criminality. That is how we are going to secure Kenya’s future,” President Ruto said while receiving a blueprint on Kenya’s Vision 2030 development plan.
The Archbishop said restoring public trust will require more than public statements, urging authorities to ensure those behind acts of political violence are held accountable regardless of their status or affiliation.