Pangas and goons: How humble farm tool became a weapon of choice

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At least 500 machetes and other crude weapons were distributed to youths who took part in the Sunday, August 16 violence during the Linda Mwananchi tour of Homa Bay County, an intelligence report shows.

As political temperatures rise ahead of the 2027 General Election, the sight of young men armed with machetes, popularly known as pangas, is becoming a more common, albeit disturbing, feature of public gatherings and political confrontations.

What was once an ordinary farm implement is rapidly being transformed into a weapon of intimidation and violence, with reports of youths carrying pangas during clashes involving political groups, members of the public, journalists and even police officers.

So common is the panga that its use has acquired a street culture of its own. Even in local pop culture, it is celebrated through songs and dance styles like "mapangale," which mimic slashing with a panga.

The growing visibility of pangas in political and criminal activities raises an uncomfortable question: how easy is it to acquire them in bulk, and should their sale be regulated?

No licensing regime

There is no specific licensing regime requiring a permit to buy or own an ordinary panga, largely because it is recognised as an agricultural and domestic tool. Yet the same tool can swiftly become a dangerous weapon when placed in the wrong hands.

Security agencies have, on a number of occasions, intercepted vehicles carrying large numbers of pangas and other implements believed to be intended for use during confrontations.

Last Sunday, detectives arrested two people with five new pangas along Ndhiwa Road in Yamase, Migori County. The incident occurred along a route used by the Linda Mwananchi team. It was not an isolated incident.

Pangas have increasingly featured in confrontations involving political groups, including incidents reported in Kisumu and Nairobi. An undated video circulating online also appears to show individuals being handed a panga and Sh1,000 for an unspecified assignment.

The incidents raise several questions. Is there a limit to the number of pangas one person can buy at a time? Are hardware stores required to record bulk purchases? And what safeguards exist when someone walks into a shop seeking dozens of the same agricultural tool?

The apparent gaps in regulation have left some traders relying largely on personal judgement.

Traders with own restrictions

Fred Ogolla, who owns a hardware store in Kisumu's Kondele area, has introduced his own restrictions. He limits customers to two pangas at a time and keeps the tools away from public display.

A visit to his store on Kisumu-Kakamega Road found no panga on display. He said he usually keeps them tucked away in a corner of the shop, aware of how a split-second of rage can turn an ordinary farm tool into a weapon against another person.

He advised his counterparts to follow their conscience when dealing with customers, rather than sales or profit, because the mental burden of knowing that a farm tool sold in their shop could end up in the wrong hands is too heavy to bear.

"When somebody comes to me to purchase more than two pangas, I don't allow it," he said.

For Mr Ogolla, the decision is not simply about business.

'My conscience does not allow me'

"My conscience does not allow me. As a Christian, I feel like I am an accessory to the crime. If it is going to be used to commit crime or death, I will never live with that, so I avoid it at all costs," said Mr Ogolla.

Audi Ogada, chairman of the Kisumu Residents Voice Association and a reformed gang member, said the recklessness and boldness with which youths brandish, carry and use pangas to attack people is a major concern.

While there are laws governing the carrying of weapons in public places, Mr Ogada said the absence of controls on bulk purchases of the tool still aids crime once it becomes a weapon. He is particularly concerned about the display of pangas along streets and roadsides.

For instance, a spot-check along the streets revealed traders placing machetes on walkways, pavements and in shops located around Uhuru Business Park and other streets near the Bus Park.

"There are serious gaps that must be looked at in the handling of pangas. I am always worried when they are displayed along the roads where anyone can pick and use it to attack another. They should display only one, then keep the others in the store," said Mr Ogada.

He also said hardware sellers should carry out due diligence when customers seek to purchase large quantities. In his view, farmers, contractors or other legitimate buyers seeking bulk supplies should have a mechanism for verification, possibly involving local chiefs or the police.

"We should have laws guiding purchasing, storage, issuance and display of pangas by hardware operators," said Mr Ogada.

The reformed Baghdad Boys gang member, however, stressed that the growing threat posed by goons could be stopped by the authorities if they chose to act.

"The government of the day should apply the law in totality in dealing with these goons. For instance, when they find armed youth with machetes at a rally, they must deal decisively with such a person," said Mr Ogada.

However, security agencies say they are already doing a lot to curb the problem, particularly the buying and carrying of such weapons, despite what they acknowledge as a lacuna in the law.

Kisumu County Commissioner Mohamed Mwabudzo said authorities are usually particularly vigilant in the days leading up to rallies and during electioneering periods.

"What we look at is our own intelligence networks. We keep our ears open, and when we suspect there will be an illegal activity and some purchases are made, we flag it and act before it happens. What we can do is have a friendly agreement with the hardware stores to alert us when this happens," said Mr Mwabudzo.

He is also relying on the public to raise the alarm when they notice suspicious purchases of such weapons.

The commissioner, however, said carrying or using a panga in public can lead to arrest under general laws if police deem it to be a dangerous weapon.

"People go to rallies to listen to the message and not to cut trees. I do not see why one would be having a panga at a political forum, because it now becomes a weapon and you will be arrested," said Mr Mwabudzo.

Under the Penal Code, carrying a panga in public without a lawful or reasonable excuse, such as travelling to or from a farm or workplace, can result in charges for possession of a dangerous weapon or causing public alarm.

While there is no specific law governing the handling of pangas, the buying and handling of firearms is regulated under the Firearms Act, Cap 114. This states, among other provisions, that no person shall purchase, acquire or have in their possession any firearm or ammunition unless they hold a firearm certificate in force at the time.

However, some counties have begun exploring local solutions.

In Mombasa, Governor Abdulswamad Nassir announced plans to regulate the sale and possession of machetes amid concerns over gangs, including groups associated with the so-called "Panga Boys."

The proposed changes to the county's Public Nuisance Act would require machete vendors to keep records of buyers. The proposal received backing from the national government, with Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen saying police would enforce the law once enacted.

Mr Nassir noted that if a buyer uses a machete to commit anything sinister, both the vendor and the offender will face the law and stiff financial penalties. The governor also warned that anyone caught walking around with a machete in the county would be presumed to be a member of a gang and subjected to the same treatment as anyone caught with a firearm.

As the country approaches another election season, the question is no longer simply whether a panga is a farm tool or a weapon. It is whether the law can close the gap before criminals and political gangs exploit it.

Reporting originally appeared via Nation Africa. Read the full source for additional context.