{"id":25786,"date":"2026-06-24T04:14:42","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T22:44:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/growing-goon-violence-against-churches-in-kenya-worries-clergy\/"},"modified":"2026-06-24T04:14:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T22:44:42","slug":"growing-goon-violence-against-churches-in-kenya-worries-clergy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/growing-goon-violence-against-churches-in-kenya-worries-clergy\/","title":{"rendered":"Growing \u2018goon\u2019 violence against churches in Kenya worries clergy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div itemprop=\"articleBody\">\n<p><iframe title=\"Everlit Audio Player\" src=\"https:\/\/everlit.audio\/embeds\/artl_9aLpxtEdova?ui_title_intro=Listen+now%3A&amp;client=wp&amp;client_version=3.2.3\" width=\"100%\" height=\"136px\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NAIROBI, Kenya (RNS) \u2014 On a recent Friday morning, groups of young men on motorbikes roared around the grounds of the All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi to disrupt and scare those gathered for a civil meeting about the country\u2019s proposed national budget reforms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Police officers initially repelled the estimated 50 bikers, who then spread panic into nearby streets by reportedly mugging passersby. But they returned on foot half an hour later and managed to storm into the historic Anglican church, attempting to rob clergy, civil society leaders, lawyers and members of the public.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cInitially, we thought probably it was a politician who had come here to do something, then we realized they were rowdy \u2026 In one minute processing, I knew we were under attack,\u201d the Rev. Canon Evans Omollo, provost of the cathedral, told RNS. \u201cI think the person who mobilized the goons wanted to silence our prophetic voice.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The June 12 attack is the latest underscoring of a rising culture of \u201cgoonism\u201d in Kenya, referring to young men from poor neighborhoods believed to be hired by politicians and influential businessmen to attack or intimidate individuals and disrupt meetings associated with political activities the gangs\u2019 bosses oppose. The African nation is grappling with rising costs of living amid subsequent protests against proposals to raise income taxes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kenyan President William Ruto on Tuesday (June 23) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.the-star.co.ke\/news\/2026-06-23-ruto-signs-finance-bill-into-law-says-no-new-taxes\">signed<\/a> the 2026 Finance Act into law, which he said was the result of extensive public engagement and will not raise new taxes. Ruto <\/span>campaigned on a promise to inject Christian values in the 85% Christian country and is running for a second term. He has condemned the rising use of \u201cgoons\u201d or gangs to intimidate political opponents and vowed to restore order.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But critics accuse politicians in Ruto\u2019s administration of hiring and protecting thugs to attack and intimidate their opponents. They also <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenyaelectionstracker.com\/news-article\/818\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">allege<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that the administration is pressuring police to allow the gangs to suppress dissent.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4265433\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 750px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4265433\" src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Kenya-Unrest2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Kenya-Unrest2.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Kenya-Unrest2-427x285.jpg 427w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Kenya-Unrest2-807x538.jpg 807w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Kenya-Unrest2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Kenya-Unrest2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Kenya-Unrest2-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Kenya-Unrest2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Kenya-Unrest2-380x253.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\"\/> <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text edd-enabled\"><span class=\"caption\">Mourners grieve alongside family members and friends of the deceased during a funeral on the outskirts of Kisumu, Kenya, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo\/Asa Wallin)<\/span><span class=\"credit\"\/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Churches and church meetings are becoming targets of the violence, clergy told RNS, because they often host independent forums, debates and human rights defenders who teach people about their rights.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">\u201cWe are afraid there is a growing concern that \u2018goonism\u2019 is having an official support,\u201d said Archbishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba of Kisumu in a statement Tuesday. Makumba, who is chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops, pointed to how the attackers at All Saints did not seem to fear the police presence. <\/span><span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">\u201c<\/span>Can Government dispel this suspicion from the minds of citizens? Is there political will to deal with the menace of \u2018goonism\u2019 or is it in the interest of the political elite?\u201d<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<hr\/>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Makumba warned that \u201cthe increasingly visible weaponization of goons to disrupt lawful public gatherings, including in worship places, and intimidation of citizens seeking to participate in democratic dialogue, also poses a grave threat to the rule of law and the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An attack on Jan. 25 targeted a Sunday service at the Rev. Joseph Njakai\u2019s home church, St. Peter\u2019s Witima Anglican Church in Othaya, Nyeri County. Thugs disrupted the service with guns and tear gas, trapping and choking worshippers, including babies and children.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI remember my grandchild, 3 years old, saying he cannot go to that church again because he was in that service that day,\u201d Njakai said. Members of the church are still traumatized, and some are considering how to seek compensation from the government.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe church is the voice of the people and a government watchdog,\u201d Njakai added.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the thugs\u2019 bosses give them money directly, they also engage in looting, sometimes stealing mobile phones, electronics and cash. In the attack on All Saints, participants reportedly lost their phones, bags and other items.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4158368\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 750px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4158368\" src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/webRNS-Kenya-Protests1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" srcset=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/webRNS-Kenya-Protests1.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/webRNS-Kenya-Protests1-427x240.jpg 427w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/webRNS-Kenya-Protests1-807x454.jpg 807w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/webRNS-Kenya-Protests1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/webRNS-Kenya-Protests1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/webRNS-Kenya-Protests1-624x351.jpg 624w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/webRNS-Kenya-Protests1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/webRNS-Kenya-Protests1-600x338.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\"\/> <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text edd-enabled\"><span class=\"caption\">Police fire water canons during a protest in Nairobi, Kenya, July 16, 2024. (AP Photo\/Ed Ram)<\/span><span class=\"credit\"\/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2024, young Kenyans organized mass protests against proposed tax hikes in an earlier finance bill, which culminated in the storming of Parliament and the deaths of at least 60 people in the following months of unrest. A memorial for those who died is scheduled for Thursday.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cKnowing that we are in a politically charged context \u2014 that is, looking forward to the Gen Z two-year memorial \u2014 I think somebody felt this scare would contribute to silencing the All Saints Cathedral,\u201d Omollo said.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Rev. Elias Otieno Agola, a Presbyterian Church of East Africa cleric and the chairman of the National Council of Churches, said the All Saints meeting was attacked because it was meant to educate people about the debt crisis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With Kenya\u2019s debt surpassing Kenya shilling 12 trillion ($92.7 billion), activists and ordinary citizens accuse the government of excessive borrowing.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cKenyans are paying 12.4 billion shillings per year to debt,\u201d Agola said. \u201cIf you quantify this, you\u2019ll realize that this is a lot of money and therefore the common Mwananchi (citizens) have to be told the effect and the impact of this finance bill on the country.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He warned that the violence might be tribal or regional at the moment but could grow into a bigger conflict.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThis is taking us back to similar moments in the late 1980s and early <span>\u2019<\/span>90s,\u201d he said, referring to Kenyan state police who stormed into the All Saints sanctuary in 1992 shooting bullets and tear gas at protesters.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At least 13 churches in the national council were attacked last year by gang members, according to Agola. The gangs had either followed politicians into churches to disrupt services or support their presences there.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<hr\/>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThey are attacked because somebody somewhere thinks the (council) is not supportive enough,\u201d he said, while pointing at the Presbyterian Church of East Africa church attacks in Kariobangi North on Nov. 30, 2025, and Mwiki, Kasarani, on April 6, 2025, both in parishes in Nairobi.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bishop Lambert Mbela, a Redeemed Gospel Church leader in Mikindani, Mombasa city, said the attacks are also spiritual, and disrespect for churches starts at the top of the country\u2019s leadership.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt is not a secret that from the top there is a disdain and a disrespect for the places of worship, then because these things are spiritual, the same spirit flows down and you find people just being driven to disrespect these places,\u201d Mbela said. \u201cWhen the head is sick, the whole body is also sick.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mbela is calling for religious groups to unite and demand an apology and repentance.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 -->\n        <\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/2026\/06\/23\/growing-goon-violence-against-churches-in-kenya-worries-clergy\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NAIROBI, Kenya (RNS) \u2014 On a recent Friday morning, groups of young men on motorbikes roared around the grounds of the All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi to disrupt and scare those gathered for a civil meeting about the country\u2019s proposed national budget reforms. Police officers initially repelled the estimated 50 bikers, who then spread panic [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25787,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25786","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25786","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25786"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25786\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25787"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25786"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25786"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25786"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}