THE ECONOMY OF VIOLENCE

 THE ECONOMY OF VIOLENCE

Contemporary Kenyan crime is witnessing a disturbing shift of violent crime from spontaneous acts of passion, desperation, or political opportunism into a cold, calculated, and highly commercialized industry. Contract killing has emerged as a structured, market-driven mechanism for dispute resolution. At its core, this 'Economy of Violence' represents a lethal convergence of three structural problems: unchecked political impunity, extreme youth unemployment, and the systemic compromise of state security instruments. The assassination of clinical psychologist Dr. Victoria Mutiso lays bare this commercialized violence. As widely reported, subsequent investigation by the DCI unraveled a chilling operational matrix: a meticulously organized corporate hit funded by a 1.5 million Kenyan Shilling bounty. Investigation reports also seemed to link the motive to a valuable parcel of land in Athi River. It has been said that Dr. Mutiso had placed a legal caveat on the land freezing its possible fraudulent sale. The assassination is thought to have aimed to clear the hurdle and unlock millions in illicit property value.

Contract killings have risen from isolated occasional cases to a systemic crisis, and this has been made possible through the available infrastructure supporting the market like ease of weapon procurement and intelligence sharing. As illustrated in the Mutiso case, the execution team allegedly comprised active-duty police personnel who repurposed state-issued assets to carry out a private execution. This weaponization of the state apparatus makes it much easier for perpetrators of such crimes. Underemployed youth in slums are readily hired as killers, logistics personnel, spotters, and get-away drivers. In an economy where honest labor yields meager returns, a fractional payout from a million bounty represents a life-altering sum. The capitalists of violence exploit this vast labor pool, effectively transforming systemic economic disenfranchisement into a readily available mercenary force. This has also been the case where ‘goons for hire’ is now a smart way to beat political and competition rivals, often with hired police force as part of the system.

I have no idea how far the legal systems can be compromised, for say, acquisition of illegal property but a failure in the legal systems may help to increase cases of contract killings. If so, wealthy cartels could in effect bypass legal systems simply by eliminating the human obstacle. This structural shift signals to domestic and international investors that physical survival, rather than statutory law, is the ultimate determinant of commercial security. Dismantling Kenya's economy of violence requires looking far beyond the immediate trigger-pullers to aggressively target the capital sources and systemic enablers. Routing out compromised state officers like in the police force could be a good beginning for resolution. The risk becomes more serious as we head into next year’s polls but perhaps, we need to all raise a voice against violence and Killings well also in line with the capital command of God, ‘Thou shall not Kill.’

©Stephen Mungai