Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has accused opposition leaders of deploying former police officers at political rallies to create chaos, warning that the government will not tolerate such actions.
Speaking on Wednesday in Naivasha, Nakuru County, Murkomen said security agencies will take action against politicians allegedly ferrying goons and exploiting security networks to destabilise public gatherings.
“Stop moving around with goons and looking for police officers; I hear some are going around recruiting former police officers to come and gradually use those networks; they carry teargas to the rallies they attend. The Inspector General will be ruthless on those people because we will not allow it,” he said.
He urged politicians to engage locals rather than bringing outsiders from other towns, saying this undermines proper democratic processes. He warned that incitement, especially as the country approaches elections, will not be tolerated, and any offenders will face legal consequences.
“If you want to attend a rally in Nakuru, talk to people from Nakuru. If it’s in Naivasha, engage people from Naivasha. Why are you bringing people from Nairobi, or from Jambini, or Nanyuki? Don’t speak for people who are not from there; make your case locally, and if they like you, they will elect you, and then we move forward together. Therefore, I am warning that incitement, especially as we approach the elections, will not be tolerated. We will act,” he said.
The CS emphasised that while courts may release individuals arrested for such activities, law enforcement will continue to act to uphold order, insisting that neither he nor Inspector General Douglas Kanja would be blamed for enforcing the law.
“Let the courts release them if they wish, but from a security perspective, we will do our part. We will take them to court. If the Chief Justice, Martha Koome, and the judiciary decide to release them under the banner of freedom of expression, they may do so, but we will arrest them again if necessary,” he said.
“When the history of Kenya is reviewed, if anything happens, no one will blame IG Kanja, no one will blame CS Murkomen, and no one will blame the executive, because we are doing our part to enforce law and order.”
He described the Inspector General as deserving of respect and urged leaders to stop undermining security institutions.
He further condemned what he termed petty attacks on security institutions.
“Don’t bring your petty, silly politics. I have kept quiet for far too long. We will meet those inciters face to face. And let them stop disrespecting the Inspector General; he is not their child. Kanja and the entire police leadership deserve respect. Let there be some decorum,” he said, adding that leadership must be anchored on integrity.
“If we were to bring their files now, they cannot stand the test of leadership. We want leaders who speak from a point of integrity. Before you lecture us, we will assess your past.”
Murkomen also condemned ethnic and divisive politics, asserting that leaders should promote their policies rather than reduce national discourse to tribal considerations. Without naming individuals, he criticised leaders who personalise government efforts and repeatedly frame issues around themselves or other political figures.
“All political leaders in this country should sell policies to the people. Why are you obsessed with this tribe, that tribe?” he posed, noting that some leaders personalise government efforts and frame national issues around individuals and communities.
“I see there is one of them who forgets everything else. Every time he speaks, it is ‘Ruto alisema, Murkomen alisema’ as if there is nobody else in the entire architecture of security.”
