Terror for hire: How Nyanza politicians cultivate goon culture

They are ruthless, well-organised, and heavily armed—and can spill blood without flinching. Some don suits and wield fake walkie-talkies.

Meet Nyanza’s organised goons—beloved by politicians, but feared and loathed by residents.

Known as Sangwenyas, the goons are recruited by most of the Nyanza politicians, who deploy them to intimidate opponents and control crowds.

Their presence has become so commonplace that some even camp at Kisumu International Airport every Friday, awaiting the arrival of waheshimiwa from Nairobi for weekend political engagements.

Politicians who fail to offer handouts are insulted, while those who oblige often incorporate the Sangwenyas into their security detail.

In South Nyanza, some leaders refer to them as “county enforcement officers”. But unlike official civil servants or county askaris, these men are armed with clubs, machetes, and a chilling lack of restraint towards anyone perceived to oppose their masters.

A former US Marine, now based in Kisumu, revealed that political leaders frequently ferry these goons across counties during the weekend, particularly for high-stakes funerals.

“It’s routine. They transport us to South Nyanza and even Siaya for burials. We are there to ensure their presence is felt,” the source said.

The use of goons has become near-institutionalised in local politics. At nearly all high-profile funerals across the region, politicians arrive flanked by hulking men posing as bodyguards.

These goons harass mourners and often forcibly eject guests, including in-laws, from seats to make way for their boss and entourage.

“The goon culture in Nyanza must be addressed. It’s the reason violence now defines most burials,” said Joseph Ochieng, a resident of Homa Bay.

A few months before his death, Kasipul MP Ong’ondo Were had claimed his political rivals were hiring gangs to target him at funerals.

Yet, Were himself was believed to be a regular client of the same gangs. He often travelled with bulky young men he referred to as “his dogs”.

He was not alone.

In Migori and Homa Bay counties, the Sangwenya system is entrenched in the region’s political fabric. Nearly every elected leader is believed to maintain a loyal band of goons.

The Nairobian established that the goons are paid between Sh1,000 and Sh10,000 each, depending on the assignment of the day.

In April, a wave of violence swept across Nyanza as ODM grassroots elections descended into chaos, with rival politicians unleashing goons to disrupt opponents’ meetings.