Interior CS Murkomen pressed over police brutality
National
By
Edwin Nyarangi
| Feb 26, 2026
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen was yesterday put on the spot by Senators over rising incidents of police brutality, including fatal shootings, as well as violence by goons at political events.
Murkomen told the Senate that police officers are currently undergoing training in crowd management to reduce cases of deaths and injuries during political gatherings.
The CS said some politicians mobilise youths to accompany them to rallies, with the young people expecting payment at the end of the day. He added that some engage in theft targeting attendees, fuelling insecurity at such meetings.
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“Both sides of the political divide are to blame for engaging goons, a practice that was previously confined to urban centres but has now spread to rural areas. If politicians desist from hiring goons, there will be no need for heavy security presence at their meetings,” said Murkomen.
He was responding to a question by Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot on the action the government is taking against politicians accused of instigating violence that leads to deaths and injuries.
Nominated Senator Veronica Maina asked the Cabinet Secretary what measures were in place to address heightened tensions at political rallies as the country gears up for the 2027 General Election, to ensure no lives are lost and no injuries reported.
Kajiado Senator Lenku Seki sought to know whether police had been issued with shoot-to-kill orders, referring to killings in Kitengela and Kakamega during the Linda Mwananchi rallies addressed by opposition leaders, which he termed worrying.
“It is the responsibility of politicians not to promote violent activities. We will support the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and the National Police Service in ensuring law and order is maintained as we prepare for the General Election,” said Murkomen.
Kisumu Senator Tom Ojienda raised concerns over the increase in mob attacks across the country and requested details of reported cases of mob justice and related fatalities from January 2025 to date.
Ojienda also sought clarification on measures put in place to enhance police response to mob attacks, strengthen investigations and facilitate the prosecution of perpetrators.
Murkomen told Senators that 845 cases of mob justice had been reported since January 2025, resulting in 266 deaths and 579 injuries.
“We are encouraging local communities to collaborate with police by reporting suspicious activities and preventing mob violence. We have also deployed officers to respond swiftly to incidents of mob justice, especially in urban centres,” he said.
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He added that coordination within the police service had been strengthened to ensure mob justice cases are prosecuted with sufficient evidence, while providing security for witnesses to support successful prosecutions, reduce case backlogs and ensure timely trials.
The CS said the National Police Service is enhancing the use of communication technology through the Integrated Command, Control and Communication (IC3) framework to improve rapid response to incidents such as mob justice.