Over the past few months, several prominent Kenyans, among them former President Uhuru Kenyatta, have encountered the ire of youth allegedly incited to cause havoc.
In most cases, the youth trespassed into the premises of these high-ranking officials, including Raila Odinga and a former aide to Daniel Moi.
The politically instigated attacks are at times accompanied by nationwide events such as demonstrations which raise political temperatures, posing a threat to the social fabric.
In all cases, properties worth millions were destroyed, the costliest being a Ksh4 billion company that was reportedly set on fire.
Here are five prominent individuals whose properties were targeted and destroyed by goons
Uhuru Kenyatta
In March this year, while the nation was engulfed with nationwide protests organised by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, a group of youth stormed the Kenyatta family's Northlands farm and walked away with nearly 1,400 exotic sheep.
The goons also cut down trees and destroyed other structures. Police were accused of laxity as they responded nearly 24 hours later.
The stolen sheep were estimated to be worth Ksh70 million, given that one exotic sheep goes for approximately Ksh50,000.
Suspects, however, returned some of the stolen sheep valued at Ksh900,000 as of mid-April, according to Northlands City farm security manager, Patrick Masinde.
Around the same time, another group of youth attempted to raid Kedong Ranch on Narok East associated with the Kenyatta family.
Raila Odinga
In March 2023, a group of 50 youth staged an attack on the Raila Odinga-owned East African Spectre Company, which deals with gas distribution.
The group pelted stones at the gate and the main building located in the Embakasi area of Nairobi.
According to the company's head of security, the men were after the company's general manager judging from the window they targeted with stones.
Raila termed the act cowardice in his subsequent address to opposition supporters and urged police to step in.
In a rejoinder, Interior CS Kithure Kindiki stated that police quickly repulsed the gang, despite being unable to act quickly at Uhuru's Northlands Ranch due to logistical challenges presented by the protests.
Paras Shah
On Saturday, August 12, a group of youth stormed Megvel Cartons Limited, a carton-making factory, and set it ablaze.
The company's owner, Paras Shah, later accused the police of supervising the destruction of his property following a land tussle with a rival company.
“An investment of Ksh4 billion has now been razed to the ground. We have shown you pictures of the destruction of machinery. Why were goons allowed to destroy the property,” the owner complained.
The land tussle case, he claimed, lasted for.
3. Kipchoge Keino
On August 11, a group of youth also invaded a 195-acre ranch in Eldoret linked to athletics legend Kipchoge Keino.
The expansive farm hosts the Olympic Committee-certified Kipchoge Keino High-Performance Training Centre, a camp used by athletes to prepare for races.
In a new twist, the encroachers claimed ownership of the land and thus demanded the title deeds transferred to them.
According to Keino's family, the athlete bought the land in 1972 through his savings and the prize money he earned from his races.
Keino urged the government to intervene and resolve the deadlock.
Benjamin Kipkulei
In April 2021, squatters invaded the land belonging to Benjamin Kipkuei, a former aide to former President Daniel Arap Moi.
According to area authorities, the squatters were seeking to be let onto the land and allowed to farm, claiming that they had the potential to produce a bumper harvest.
"Land-grabbing cartels are making millions leasing land belonging to individuals to gullible farmers," cautioned Naivasha Deputy County Commissioner Kisilu Mutua
Multiple reports alleged that cartels had targeted the farm for years.
