President William Ruto’s Senior Economic Advisor Moses Kuria has issued a stark warning against the use of hired goons in political demonstrations, drawing from his own experience as a young activist during the historic Saba Saba protests of the 1990s.
Speaking during an interview with a local media station on June 22, 2025, Kuria reflected on Kenya’s dark days of political repression, cautioning that employing goons could lead the country down a perilous path towards conflict.
“This use of goons sounds sweet. You know, you feel like you are on top of the world. But it will catch up with you. The same goons will catch up with you,” Kuria warned.
Kuria attributed his insights to his involvement in the Saba Saba protests when he was just 19 years old, highlighting that this background gives him a unique perspective on the threats posed by political violence.
“As a 19-year-old, I was on the streets during Saba Saba. So it’s a territory I know too well. And it worries me when I see us crosing some lines there,” he said.
He noted that the goon phenomenon appears concentrated in Nairobi and the Mt Kenya region, questioning why such activities are not occurring in other parts of the country, like Kakamega.
“I decry because I never imagined I would live to see a situation whereby my own people, my own community, this side has goons, the other side has goons. Then what?” he lamented.
Kuria made reference to Rwanda’s genocide, warning that political violence can escalate gradually before reaching catastrophic levels.
“Rwanda did not wake up one day and wake up to genocide. It is a buildup of things,” he cautioned.
Call for peace and stability
Positioning himself as a voice for business people and ordinary Kenyans who desire peace and stability, Kuria argued that most citizens are not interested in political conflicts but simply want to live their lives normally.
“There are so many people who do not care about the things we are yapping about. Here is an overwhelming majority of Kenyans just want to go about their normal life,” Kuria observed.
He called for a return to peace and stability, urging Kenyans and leaders to agree on a basic set of values regardless of their party, tribe or ideology.
“There must be some minimum set of things we agree on. Surely we can’t disagree about everything. So when it comes to issues of having a country, let’s have a country first — a working country is a bonus,” he said.
Kuria stressed that Kenya is a beautiful nation with immense potential and that it is the responsibility of leaders on all sides to protect it.
“I do know, without a fear of contradiction, we have got a wonderful, good country which we know we should be very, you know, envious and jealous regarding our country,” he added.
