A coalition of human rights organisations has petitioned the High Court in Nairobi over what they describe as an escalating pattern of organised violence targeting political gatherings, religious services, journalists and civic activities ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The petition, filed by the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), Katiba Institute, the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) and three individuals, accuses state institutions of failing to prevent attacks, investigate reported incidents and prosecute those responsible.

The petition sued the Attorney-General, the Director-General of the National Intelligence Service, the Inspector-General of Police and the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights are listed as interested parties.

According to the petition, organised groups of young men, commonly referred to as “goons”, have repeatedly disrupted public gatherings since early 2025. The petitioners argue that the violence threatens constitutional rights, including freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association and political participation.

One of the incidents highlighted occurred on July 6, 2025, when a group of men allegedly stormed KHRC offices in Nairobi during a media briefing involving mothers of victims of police brutality and enforced disappearances.

The petition states that journalists and members of the public were assaulted or intimidated, property was stolen, and requests for police assistance went unanswered until the attackers had left.

Another incident occurred on June 12, 2026, when armed youths allegedly disrupted a public forum on the national budget at All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi. The meeting had brought together civil society organisations, religious leaders, lawyers and members of the public.

The petition also cited attacks and disruptions reported in Kisii, Homa Bay, Meru, Kisumu, Nyeri and other parts of the country. Some incidents allegedly resulted in deaths, injuries, damage to property and attacks on journalists.

The petitioners further claimed that investigative reporting has identified financial arrangements used to recruit and pay individuals to disrupt political gatherings.

They argued that authorities should investigate not only those who carry out the attacks but also the alleged organisers and financiers.

The court documents stated that senior government officials and the police have publicly acknowledged the problem of political violence and promised action. However, the petitioners contend that these assurances have not been matched by sufficient accountability for those behind the incidents.

At the centre of the case is the argument that the state has a constitutional duty to protect citizens and ensure that they can participate in public affairs without fear of intimidation or violence. The petitioners rely on provisions of the Constitution of Kenya, including Articles 21, 37 and 38, which address the protection of fundamental rights, peaceful assembly and political participation.

They sought the High Court to issue declarations and orders compelling state agencies to fulfil their constitutional obligations, investigate the reported incidents effectively and prevent further violence, particularly as the country approaches the 2027 General Election.

“An order of mandamus, or such other appropriate order, compelling the 2nd and 3rd Respondents to investigate the incidents particularised in this Petition, including the underlying financing and recruitment networks, not only the individuals physically present at each attack, and to preserve all evidence relating to those incidents, including Occurrence Book entries, CCTV footage and communications records, and to forward the resulting investigation files to the Director of Public Prosecutions for a decision on whether to charge; and requiring the 2nd and 3rd Respondents to file a joint report before this Honourable Court within sixty (60) days, or such other period as the Court may direct, on the progress and outcomes of the investigations and of the files forwarded,” read the court documents.

The petition warned that continued intimidation could undermine public confidence in the rule of law and compromise the conditions necessary for free and fair elections.

“Violence aimed at suppressing civic and political activity threatens not only the individual rights of participants but also the constitutional conditions on which democratic participation depends,” read the court documents.

“Left unchecked, it will normalise intimidation as an instrument of political contestation, erode public confidence in the rule of law, and hollow out the constitutional framework within which the sovereign will of the people is meant to be freely expressed through elections.”