Goons who infiltrated protests in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) have come forward, confessing to being hired by influential individuals to disrupt the peaceful marches.
While speaking to Citizen TV, several of the goons admitted to being paid as little as Ksh50 to cause disruption, with some even lamenting that they were short-changed and ended up receiving no payment at all.
The goons were brought in to create havoc during the protests held on Tuesday, June 17, in honour of Albert Ojwang. Wielding sticks, they unleashed terror on protesters and looted shops. It was rumoured that the group had been paid by politicians.
Further, the goons were said to have had the backing of the police, with footage surfacing online showing law enforcement officers appearing indifferent to the breakdown of law and order caused by the group.
While revealing details of their assignment, the goons noted that their ‘bosses’ had promised to pay them Ksh2,000, but only after the job was done.
Most of them came from informal settlements around Nairobi, such as Kibera and Korogocho. In terms of numbers, one of them disclosed that his group comprised approximately 83 individuals.
After being mobilised, the goons were briefed at specific points across the city, such as the junction along Dennis Pritt Road and Greenpark, from where they would ride into the city on boda bodas.
However, some of them ended up on the receiving end of vigilante groups who expressed their displeasure at the disruption of their commercial activities in the name of wreaking havoc.
Several goons sustained injuries, with some of those interviewed displaying broken limbs and head trauma.
Notably, one of their alleged bosses, the infamous Swaleh, is rumoured to have gone into hiding upcountry, with footage of him on his knees apologising surfacing online.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, who has faced immense backlash over rumours of sponsoring the goons, came out strongly to deny the claims, even going so far as to provide receipts to prove his innocence.
He denied holding secret meetings with Gaucho and Swaleh, the individuals rumoured to be the link between the goons and politicians, to plan how the protests would be disrupted.
Reports had alleged that, before the protests, the governor met with several leaders, including Gaucho, a sitting Nairobi MP, an MCA, and the infamous Swaleh, and issued them with funds to sponsor the goons.
However, Sakaja distanced himself from the allegations, clarifying that he was not in the city on the said day. He provided evidence to show that he had travelled to Lugari and had not convened the alleged meeting.
