Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has strongly defended Kenya’s police officers amid growing public anger over alleged brutality during recent anti-government protests. Speaking in Tana River County during the opening of Tarasaa sub-county offices, Murkomen urged Kenyans to respect law enforcement and reject hostility, warning that continued tension could plunge the country into lawlessness.
“Police are not animals from hell. They are our children. We must live peacefully with them,” Murkomen stated, calling for mutual respect between civilians and officers.
His remarks come after deadly protests on June 25 and July 7, where several young people reportedly lost their lives. The demonstrations, largely driven by the youth under the Gen Z movement, have sparked widespread outrage and calls for police accountability. However, Murkomen dismissed claims that Gen Z were responsible for the violence, insisting that criminal elements infiltrated the protests.
“That was not a protest — it was an attempted coup, an act of terrorism,” he said, alleging that the chaos was orchestrated by unnamed political figures. According to Murkomen, protestors torched government buildings, looted a police station, and stole five guns, two of which have been recovered. One, he claimed, was used in a robbery in Naivasha.
He warned that had explosives from a secured armoury been stolen, the outcome could have been catastrophic. “It’s not a joke what we saw,” Murkomen added.
The CS accused some leaders of shielding perpetrators through ethnic mobilisation and urged the Judiciary to act firmly against arson, terrorism, and incitement.
“We shall take firm decisions under the law and bring all those involved to justice. It’s not going to be business as usual,” he warned.
Murkomen’s comments reflect the government’s increasingly tough stance in the face of mounting unrest. While critics demand accountability for excessive force used by police, the government appears focused on framing the protests as a threat to national stability, blaming what it calls “lords of violence” seeking to destabilise the regime.
