Deal with Gangs Ruthlessly, Ruto Tells Police Graduates Ahead of 2027 Polls
He urged police to ensure the 2027 election is secured without compromising the democratic space Kenyans will use to elect their leaders.
Photo: Courtesy.
By Robert Mutasi
President William Ruto has directed Kenya Police Service graduates to deal ruthlessly with political gangs as the country prepares for the 2027 General Election.
Speaking on Friday, August 28, 2026, at the Kiganjo Police Training College during a pass-out parade, the President called on the National Police Service and all security agencies to take firm, lawful and impartial action against anyone who finances, organises, incites or perpetrates political violence.
“Do not arrest only the young person holding a weapon while allowing the person who recruited, transported and paid him to escape responsibility,” Ruto said. He stressed that sponsored violence has no place in a democratic state and that no politician is entitled to maintain a private militia for security.
The President emphasised that no political objective can justify violence. He reminded the new officers that Article 37 of the Constitution protects the right of every person to assemble, demonstrate, picket and present petitions peacefully and unarmed. That right, he said, must be respected and protected.
At the same time, Ruto made it clear that the Constitution does not shield arson, looting, assault, intimidation or the destruction of public and private property. “You must neither criminalise legitimate dissent nor excuse violence committed under the cover of politics,” he told the graduates.
He urged police to ensure the 2027 election is secured without compromising the democratic space Kenyans will use to elect their leaders. Political competition, he said, must remain a contest of ideas, policies and leadership rather than one of hired gangs, intimidation and ethnic mobilisation.
Ruto noted that Kenyans must be free to attend political gatherings, listen, question, criticise and choose leaders without fear. Police and other security agencies, he added, have a clear constitutional duty to protect that democratic space.
The President also addressed politicians directly, stating that they are free to organise meetings and campaign across the country. However, he expressed concern over recently reported incidents of goonism, describing them as a national problem that must be confronted.
The address comes as Kenya enters the final stretch towards the next general election, with security agencies expected to play a central role in maintaining order while safeguarding constitutional freedoms. Ruto’s message to the newly trained officers underscored the dual responsibility of enforcing the law firmly against violence while upholding the rights of peaceful assembly and expression.
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