‘Long arm of the law will catch up with them’ — Sossion warns violence financiers

Former ODM-nominated MP Wilson Sossion has said individuals alleged to be sponsoring groups to disrupt political activities across the country could eventually face legal action if found culpable.

Sossion said Kenya has established democratic institutions and legal mechanisms that should support peaceful political competition.

Speaking on TV47, he warned that security agencies would not tolerate acts of violence linked to political activities.

"For the knowledge of those goons who are still existing around the country, the security agencies of this country are not going to condone this culture of violence anymore. We want to get to days where a polling day is a day of peace, that people can even go to work," he said.

Sossion said the findings of the Kofi Annan Foundation's latest Electoral Vulnerability Index, which projects an 84.1 per cent probability of election-related violence during the 2027 General Election, should be taken seriously.

He said time was running out and individuals found to be financing or organising political violence would face consequences under the law.

"The fathers of goons must be dealt with effectively using the law, and the CS of Interior has been very clear. Eventually, the long arm of the law will close on them."

The former legislator defended the government's handling of concerns around political violence, saying investigations had pointed to allegations that some politicians were linked to groups accused of criminal activities before shifting blame to the state.

"When you see the CS for Interior, Murkomen, talking about it now and then, those are facts that have come out that everywhere in the country, the menace is goons patronised by some politicians and we're trying to blame the government, which is wrong," he said.

The former Knut boss also cited the heavy deployment of security personnel during the ongoing Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election as part of measures aimed at preventing election-related violence and maintaining public order.

"It cannot be that the people of Ol Kalou fight during the campaign period and some lose their lives, and voting will close today, and somebody will be elected, and the process ends when lives have been lost. That is only an activity that can happen in the wild in the animal kingdom."

Sossion called for firm action against individuals found to be involved in sponsoring political violence.

"We are a democracy that has struggled over the years, and we've got the best credentials in terms of advancing our democratic activities in a civilised manner, in a peaceful way. The criminal justice system must deal with all these perpetrators of violence."

The Kofi Annan Foundation's Electoral Vulnerability Index urged Kenya to undertake preventive reforms ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The report cited deep public mistrust, ethnic mobilisation, economic hardship and weaknesses in state institutions as key factors that could heighten the risk of election-related violence.