Kenya's Goon Crisis EXPLODES — Is Ruto Cleaning Up His Own Mess?|Plug Tv

[00:00:00]Previously on keeping up with the Kenya Kwanza government.

[00:00:04]>> Having lawlessness [music] goons and all these other characters, criminals, should be stopped.

[00:00:10]>> There is an African proverb that says when a hyena wants to eat its own children, it first accuses them of smelling like goats.

[00:00:18]Today, Kenya watched that same old trick play out in real time as the very government accused of arming the goons suddenly declared war on them.

[00:00:29]>> I have been following the debate.

[00:00:32]You know?

[00:00:35]We had [music] uh the the demonstrations democratic constitutional legal.

[00:00:46]But we also have criminals and thugs and characters who destroy people's property, steal from people, [music] burn down buildings.

[00:00:58]And you know, we are unable to make a decision.

[00:01:04]You know? You find uh people [music] who've come to town, they destroyed, burned down shops.

[00:01:14]Destroyed people's property.

[00:01:17]And you know?

[00:01:21]The conversation is please, you know?

[00:01:25]These are our children.

[00:01:28]You know? These are our children, so we must listen to them.

[00:01:32]Which is okay.

[00:01:34]You know?

[00:01:35]>> [music] >> Yes, must listen to them.

[00:01:39]They continue.

[00:01:41]Some people arrested you know? With criminality taken to [music] court they're given a bond of 200 shillings.

[00:01:51]They leave there.

[00:01:53]You know?

[00:01:55]Because they are our children.

[00:01:57]Then they go on.

[00:02:00]They now go to political rallies.

[00:02:03]And then we have goons.

[00:02:07]And then I don't know whether we want to say again these are our children.

[00:02:11]>> Just hours ago, President Ruto ordered a nationwide crackdown on political goons, those shadowy men who have been trailing politicians from rally to rally.

[00:02:21]>> The goons.

[00:02:23]So, you know, we we really need to have a candid conversation about >> [applause] >> criminality, the rule of law, security of our nation.

[00:02:35]It cannot be the case.

[00:02:38]There cannot be any defense for criminality.

[00:02:43]There cannot be any defense for breaking the law.

[00:02:48]I'm very happy that the last time there was an attempt for criminality in town and we stopped it.

[00:02:55]You know, many Kenyans agreed that no, it's now time for us to say no to people who want to burn our property. [applause] And that is going to be the future. It's now clear that everybody every sector of our society, the business uh leaders, religious leaders, political leaders have all agreed that having lawlessness, goons and all these other characters, criminals, should be stopped.

[00:03:30]Now that we have a consensus, now that we have a consensus, our security agencies must do their job.

[00:03:40]Within the law, they must do their job and they must stop criminality.

[00:03:46]You know, that that is how we are going to secure Kenya's future.

[00:03:52]>> At the same moment, Coast Region Police Commander Ali Nuno doubled down. He declared that both the goons and the politicians who sponsored them would be pursued, even if it meant withdrawing state security officers attached to those politicians.

[00:04:14]Tunaweheshimu.

[00:04:15]You are the leaders. We are ready to work with you.

[00:04:31]Yeah, investment. Yeah, our livelihood.

[00:04:39]And we'll be taking taking this country down there down down there the dogs. We are not ready headed to see Kenya going down down to the dogs.

[00:04:47]Therefore, we will deal with any politician who is likely to hire goons.

[00:04:55]We are going to withdraw his security.

[00:05:01]>> [music] >> So, they have hard decisions to make.

[00:05:26]I'm appealing to them. Please, do your politics with principles and maturity.

[00:05:32]Do your politics based on ideas and not individuals.

[00:05:36]Basically, do your politics on development and not chaos.

[00:05:43]Kenya is bigger than all of us. It's our country. We cannot lose Kenya because of an individual or two.

[00:06:00]>> The twin statements from President Ruto and the Coast region police boss have triggered one question across the country. Is this the start of a genuine cleanup or an attempt to cut ties with a problem that critics say has been tolerated for years?

[00:06:22]Honestly, goonism did not arrive on a mysterious boat from international waters. It was pampered and armed by politicians in the country.

[00:06:33]In Kisii, we saw them. In Kisumu, we watched them. And most recently in Ol Kalou, unmarked vehicles carried hooded men through election streets and the whole drama ended up on CCTV under the ICC conversation.

[00:06:51]>> Surely we are going the ICC way and Douglas Kanja, you'll have a date with ICC.

[00:06:58]Let William Ruto give you instructions in writing. Let him not instruct you on phone.

[00:07:04]You remember General Mohammed Ali went to the ICC because of letting the country go to the dogs.

[00:07:10]And I could tell this goon thing was just a preparation to build capacity for interfering with next year's general election. And that is why William Ruto put Kipchumba Murkomen there to recruit goons and bring the goons culture in the country and prepare the country that goons are part of our life so that goons can interfere with with the next general election. In most of these incidents, the goons in question were not operating independently. They were attached physically, financially, operationally to government figures. Some are even described as bodyguards to these government officials.

[00:07:48]And now, the same government that presided over all of these has suddenly discovered that goons are a problem.

[00:08:10]>> Yes.

[00:08:10]>> So, when the government now announces a crackdown on goons, Kenyans are asking a very uncomfortable question.

[00:08:17]Is this genuine reform or strategic cleanup?

[00:08:20]Because if goonism has indeed become lawlessness, as officials now claim, who nurtured it?

[00:08:27]Who normalized it? And who allowed them with sticks and pistols to roam political events as if they were part of the program?

[00:08:40]For many observers, the timing feels as suspiciously convenient. First, the public outrage from Kenyans after the attack, then the viral videos, then the whispered ICC conversations emerged online.

[00:08:54]Then, out of the blues, the threats from citizens saying they would take matters into their own hands if the state failed to act.

[00:09:03]>> Simple solution is that we are approaching anarchy.

[00:09:08]State of nature where people will take arms to protect themselves against government and government goons.

[00:09:21]I mean, it's my duty as a leader in this country to say even our tourists, they are no longer safe in this country.

[00:09:29]There are just too many goons everywhere.

[00:09:32]And because I'm talking about the Italian people, I want to call upon tourists to suspend their visit to Kenya until next year.

[00:09:44]We deal away with goons and rogue policemen.

[00:09:48]>> And suddenly, the hyenas are being hunted down. Or at least that is what we are told by the president.