Outrage Over ‘Goons Culture’ as Business Leader Calls for National Crackdown

A leading Kenyan entrepreneur has sounded the alarm over rising organized violence, urging authorities and citizens alike to take swift and coordinated action to restore law and order.

Esther Muchemi, Chief Executive Officer of Samchi Group, issued the warning following a spate of disturbing weekend incidents in Nairobi, where criminal groups reportedly attacked motorists, vandalized vehicles, and disrupted businesses along a major highway.

In her statement, Dr. Muchemi described the perpetrators as only part of a larger, more concerning system of organized lawlessness.

“The real concern lies with those who finance, organize, and enable such lawlessness, as well as those entrusted with authority who remain silent or fail to act,” she said.

She criticized the growing normalization of politically instigated violence and warned that the widespread use of the term “goons” risks trivializing serious criminal behavior.

The business leader highlighted the heavy toll such incidents are taking on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), noting that insecurity is driving financial losses, disrupting operations, and weakening confidence in the economy.

Calling for urgent intervention, Dr. Muchemi urged institutions across the country to fulfill their constitutional roles. She appealed to religious leaders to provide moral guidance, law enforcement to protect lives and property, and the Judiciary to deliver swift and impartial justice. She also challenged the Executive to enforce the rule of law and the Opposition to hold leaders accountable.

Independent institutions, including the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and Parliament, were also urged to strengthen democratic oversight and integrity.

“Violence has no place in a democratic society. It undermines governance, erodes public trust, and threatens national unity,” she said.

Dr. Muchemi further called on Kenyans to reject violence in all its forms and to take collective responsibility in safeguarding peace.

“God abhors violence. As a nation, we must stand united in denouncing it and in restoring the values that bind us together.”

The Samchi Group reaffirmed its commitment to supporting a peaceful and economically stable Kenya, warning that failure to act decisively could deepen insecurity and harm the country’s development trajectory.