Aasai

In a shocking revelation, a group of armed goons who violently disrupted peaceful protests in Nairobi earlier this week have come forward, confirming that they were hired to sabotage the demonstrations. The protests, held on Tuesday, were sparked by public outrage over the suspicious death of blogger Albert Ojwang’ while in police custody. Demonstrators also called for the resignation of Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat.

What began as a peaceful march soon descended into chaos as dozens of armed men, wielding crude weapons such as jembe sticks (hoes), descended on the protestors. Disturbingly, eyewitnesses and viral footage suggested that these attackers operated with apparent police protection, sparking widespread suspicion and anger among Kenyans.

Despite public speculation, the police and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja have both denied any involvement with or knowledge of the goons. However, an investigation conducted by Citizen TV has unearthed damning details that point to a well-organized scheme to intimidate demonstrators.

Journalists tracked the story from Nairobi’s informal settlements—Kibera, Korogocho, and Dagoretti—where they encountered some of the individuals who took part in the attacks in that day. Injured and regretful, several of them confessed that they had been promised payments to disrupt the protests but never received the full amounts as agreed. Some were still nursing injuries—head wounds, broken limbs—sustained either during the scuffles or from attacks by angry protesters fighting back.

The goons admitted they were briefed and dispatched from specific locations that day, including a junction along Dennis Pritt Road and Green Park, where they received final instructions before launching their assault. According to testimonies, the plan was clear: infiltrate and terrorize demonstrators to break up the rally.

A viral video that showed the gang walking outside City Hall raised eyebrows to many, leading to more speculation about who may have coordinated the attack. Some of the participants have since gone into hiding, fearing retaliation. Several have taken to social media to express remorse and seek forgiveness, especially those who fled to their rural homes to escape possible reprisals.

While the confessions have shocked the nation, no arrests have been made. Authorities have yet to charge anyone with organizing, funding, or supplying weapons to the attackers. The absence of accountability continues to raise concerns about the state’s complicity or indifference to politically motivated violence.

Meanwhile, fresh videos circulating online have delivered thinly veiled threats to future protesters, adding to the growing unease in a country grappling with allegations of police brutality and suppression of free speech.

In addition to violently clashing with demonstrators, the goons also engaged in widespread looting, targeting shops and leaving a trail of destruction in Nairobi’s Central Business District. Businesses have suffered losses, and city residents are demanding answers on who financed and mobilized the attackers—and why.

The damning revelations have only deepened the crisis of trust between citizens and security agencies. Kenyans now wait anxiously for justice and transparency, hoping this incident does not become yet another unresolved chapter in the country’s troubled history of protest suppression.