Michael Ouma, a former gang member turned community leader, has sounded the alarm over the growing prevalence of hooliganism in Nairobi’s estates. Speaking to a local TV station on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, Ouma painted a stark picture of how hired muscle has become a normalized aspect of daily life, particularly in areas like Dandora.
“For any activity to take place here, even a church crusade, pastors must hire young men to provide security, or things will spiral out of control,” Ouma explained.
Ouma, who serves as chairman of the Residents’ Association in Embakasi North, described himself as a reformed goon whose role is now primarily coordination and mobilisation rather than direct involvement in violence. He revealed that during campaigns, budgets would routinely allocate funds for security, which rarely involved police officers. Instead, groups of young men were strategically deployed to safeguard political figures.
“Security isn’t about police; it’s about assembling youths to cordon the mheshimiwa,” he said, noting that organizers often require 30 to 50 young men daily, each paid approximately Ksh1,000 plus meals.
Ouma stressed that this model has expanded beyond politics into religious and sporting events. “In Dandora, if you have a crusade, you must hire goons to protect the instruments,” he noted.
Highlighting the systemic roots of the problem, he blamed weak institutions and insufficient community sensitization. “It is just bad manners, and it goes back to institutionalism. We must sensitise people and invest in civic education,” Ouma urged, calling for collective efforts to address the entrenched culture of hired muscle in Nairobi’s neighborhoods.
