Kipchumba Murkomen: Below average boisterous CS unfazed as insecurity grows

CS Murkomen with Mama Elizabeth Auma Ogega, the mother of Brian Odhiambo who disappeared in Lake Nakuru National Park two months ago.[FILE] The growing insecurity in the country is raising alarm with incidents of terrorism and banditry causing concern among Kenyans. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, however, has more than once seemed more concerned with emerging issues in national politics than ensuring security of the country- a mandate of his docket. A month ago, as residents of Turkana were mourning the deaths of 20 people following a cross-border attack at the volatile Todonyang region on the Kenya-Ethiopia border, Murkomen was in Eldama Ravine attacking the former Deputy President Rigathi Gachua. It was at that fundraising event that he and other Kenya Kwanza leaders took a swipe at Gachagua's attack on President William Ruto, as bandit activities increase in North Rift even as the North Eastern region reports new incidents of terror. His apparent failure to effectively address the insecurity challenge is evident in Samburu, Turkana and Baringo, as bandit make a return, with concerns raised about the government's response and the proliferation of small arms. The attacks in the North Rift came in the wake of recent terrorist attacks in North Eastern, where suspected Al Shabaab militia attacked a police camp, killing six officers. Just hours after the killing of the six police officers in Garissa, another deadly attack was witnessed in Mandera County on Monday, claiming the life of a National Police Reserve (NPR) unit commander. The recent wave of violence began with the abduction of five chiefs in Mandera County in February, marking the highlight of the attacks. The administrators, who were on their way to a security briefing ahead of President William Ruto's visit, were intercepted by armed militants and taken across the border into Somalia. Despite ongoing negotiations led by a multi-agency team and community elders, their whereabouts remain unknown. The resurgence of violence has raised fresh concerns about security in the country, with the US issuing a travel advisory on March 17, 2025. In recent weeks, the country has witnessed a worrying resurgence of Al-Shabaab attacks, signaling a potential deterioration of security along the Somalia border. The attacks, which have claimed lives, led to abductions and prompted international travel advisories, reigniting concerns about whether security agencies may have let their guard down after a period of relative calm. For years, the northeastern region has been vulnerable to Al-Shabaab incursions due to its porous border with Somalia. However, security operations and intelligence-led interventions have largely suppressed significant attacks in recent times. Enock Makanga, a security analyst and executive commander of the Intercontinental Counter-Terrorism Police Organization, warns that terrorism is not a problem that can be eradicated overnight but rather one that requires sustained counter-measures. "Terrorism can only be minimized, not eradicated or fled from. Al-Shabaab and other militant groups continually evolve, testing different methods to determine which ones are most effective," he said. Governor Mohamed Khalif of Mandera has openly criticized security agencies for failing to act on intelligence warnings. Khalif said local informants had alerted security agencies about Al-Shabaab operatives crossing into Kenya days before the attacks. "The people of Mandera have provided real-time intelligence. Reports were shared with all security units, even those in Nairobi. Yet, when the attack came, the response was slow, and they came just to pick the body," he said. However, Inspector General Douglas Kanja, responded by cautioning against politicising security matters. He dismissed the claims by Khalif that security agencies failed to act on intelligence warnings before the recent Al-Shabaab attacks. According to Kanja, security operations in Mandera and other border counties have been intensified to counter the resurgence of militant activity. "Politicians should not politicize security issues, especially sensitive matters like what is happening in Mandera," he said. The governor also raised concerns about the dire conditions of Police Reservists (NPRs), who have been instrumental in combating Al-Shabaab in the region. Unlike regular police and military personnel, NPR officers are poorly equipped, lack medical coverage, and receive meager stipends, if any. "These are the people who have held Mandera together for the last ten years. Without them, Al-Shabaab would have taken over," Khalif said. The security lapses have fueled questions about Kenya's preparedness in countering the evolving threat. The escalation of attacks has not gone unnoticed internationally. The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi recently issued a travel advisory warning its citizens against traveling to northeastern Kenya, particularly Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera, due to increased risk of terrorism and kidnapping. The advisory places these counties under "Level 4: Do Not Travel" classification, the highest risk level. As Al-Shabaab intensifies its attacks, Kenya faces tough choices on how to respond effectively. Governor Khalif urged President Ruto to personally intervene and ensure NPR officers receive the necessary equipment, training, and compensation. "We are not just asking for weapons. We are asking for a well-coordinated system where NPRs are supervised by trained officers and their welfare is prioritised," he said. While the country has made strides in combating terrorism, the current wave of violence raises the specter of renewed insurgency. According to Dr. Makanga, one of the biggest challenges in the country's counter-terrorism efforts is the frequent reshuffling of security personnel, which disrupts continuity. "We put systems in place, we deploy officers like those from the OCPD who study the problem, develop successful counterstrategies, and just when they are starting to make progress, they are transferred. The new officer takes over without a proper handover, and the cycle repeats," he said. To effectively counter Al-Shabaab, Makanga emphasised the need for a well-structured, long-term approach rather than short-term reactions. Reports from the North Rift region indicate that bandits have turned the ongoing operation, Maliza Uhalifu, into a laughing stock. The bandits have become increasingly daring, staging attacks even in the presence of government officials working on development projects in the troubled region. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen. [File, Standard] On Saturday, Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, who was on a development tour of Tiaty constituency, came face to face with the danger posed by marauding bandits when a chief was killed in Loruk, a few kilometers from where Koskei was holding his meeting. The attackers appear not even to be scared or bothered by the presence of Murkomen, the Interior CS, in the region, when in February this year, they attacked and killed people in the area. The attackers appear to have defied President Ruto, who had vowed to eradicate banditry and bring stability and development to the region, long known as the 'Valley of Death.' The desperation by security agencies led to the launch of a joint operation between police officers and the Kenya Defense Forces in 2023 at the height of the killings, but bandits continued to wreak havoc. Samburu County has for instance reported 20 deaths since January, with two killed on Saturday morning in separate attacks. Regional Police Commander Jasper Ombati confirmed the death of the former chief and civilian on Saturday during a joint security meeting with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations in Baringo. The former administrator, the officer said, was killed in Samburu Central, while the civilian was killed in Samburu East. Ombati added that a chief was also killed in Loruk, Baringo County, last Friday. He stated that officers drawn from DCI headquarters in Nairobi had joined the officers from Baringo to establish the motive behind the chief's killing. "We have received a special team from DCI to support teams on the ground in widening and deepening the investigations. We request that members of the public support us in providing intelligence on the case," he added. The regional police boss stated that the area has been 'relatively calm' following a successful ongoing Maliza Uhalifu operation. Alex Leboo, a resident of Samburu, said that tragedy has once again struck the peaceful community of Purra after a brutal bandit attack on the former chief. "The attack, which occurred in the early hours of the day, has left our community in mourning and raised urgent questions about the state of security in the region," he said. Robert Lekuyanga, on his part, regretted that they were now left on the sidewalk as they did not know what was causing the violence that had taken the lives of innocent people in the area. The killing, he said, has created tension in the area. The locals said the former Purra location chief was ambushed and shot dead by suspected bandits near his house on Saturday morning. John Learus claimed it was a state of disrespect for the family to lose their loved ones even after serving the country honorably. "As now the mortuary has turned into a camping area every time following frequent attacks," he said Learus regretted that the government had turned a blind eye as bandits continued with their killings. North Rift has over 3,000 security officers deployed to contain the situation in the region. Authorities have said that most of the killings are a result of retaliatory attacks, scarcity of resources, and boundary expansion. Richard Chepchomei, a village elder from Baringo, alleged that retaliatory attacks should be tamed in respect of the sacredness of life. "Unfortunately, bandits decide to avenge the killings. I believe a special unit should be formed to tackle banditry," he added. Financiers and the sympathizers should be apprehended, he said, as a sign of good faith by the state.In January, three chiefs in Baringo were arrested in connection with the murder of three people killed while on a motorcycle. Three chiefs from Tiaty were arrested and charged in connection with the murder of three people, allegedly for harboring bandits. A source privy to the information told The Standard that some chiefs from the warring communities compromised security operations by sharing intelligence with bandits. For a long time, the chiefs have helped bail and aid the bandits when they were arrested.Relatives of the said chiefs are said to be among the bandits who have been terrorising locals along the North Rift, making it difficult to contain the situation. These chiefs are supposed to give intelligence but due to their closeness and relationship to them, they tend to hide key information, because they benefit from the proceeds. Security expert Prof. Erick Bor of Egerton University said the situation was complex, as it entailed a chain of cartels that had commercialised rustling, expansionist activities, and historical injustices, among others, which required a military plan to end the menace. To bring sanity, Bor's opinion is that human rights and correcting a problem should be distinguished, as banditry is a structural issue that will result in painful results. "Structural issues are mostly culturally embedded and need to be dealt with using different mechanisms, as it entails surrender," Bor said. Bor observed that the government should strategize well and understand the crime clock in the region to guide its efforts in fighting banditry. [Report by Steve Mkawale, Yvonne Chepkwony and Emmanuel Kipchumba]

Kipchumba Murkomen: Below average boisterous CS unfazed as insecurity grows

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