Several African nations experience an escalating trend of informal political repression during an election period, where elite actors employ youth gangs, street thugs, and party militias to subvert democratic processes. As Kenya heads to the 2027 general vote, the country's human rights organisations are warning of an alarming rise in the use of hired gangs-commonly referred to as "goons"-by political actors seeking to intimidate rivals, disrupt demonstrations and suppress civic activism ahead of the polls. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to  Wellington Muzengeza, Independent Journalist, Political Risk Analyst and Author