Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has urged the Judiciary to take severe action against what he described as anarchists, warning that leniency could destabilise the country.
Speaking at the 9th annual Kaptagat Integrated Conservation and Livelihood Improvement Program on Saturday, July 9, Murkomen said the Executive would uphold law and order and asked the courts to match that resolve.
“And I want to ask the courts to be firm. If they don’t become firm, they are going to put our country in trouble. We as the executive we will be firm,” said Murkomen.
He warned political leaders and groups accused of inciting unrest that they would face legal consequences if they fuel violence.
“We want to tell those people who are out there, those who are trying to intimidate us, saying they were just testing us to see if we would take legal action we will even be more firm in blocking all these goons and criminals who are coming to kill people,” noted Murkomen.
Murkomen criticised recent anti-government protests, arguing that they deviated from the constitutional right to peaceful assembly under Article 37.
“Just imagine, just imagine we have seen many demonstrations, but the one that happened recently, where you target a police station to burn it, you target to steal firearms, you target, Your Excellency, to burn the court, you target to steal people’s property that is not a demonstration, that is not what Article 37 of the Constitution provides for, and we will not be intimidated,” observed Murkomen.
He dismissed ethnic justifications for property destruction, saying identity should not be misused for political gain.
“We will not allow our country to be burned and there is no place of Kenya. You can’t tell us because you were born in Nyeri, we should allow supermarkets in Nyeri to be destroyed. Ati because you were born in Kirinyaga, we should allow you to go and destroy other people’s business because they do not give you campaign money,” explained Murkomen.
He emphasised that no political title would shield anyone from prosecution.
“We are not going to allow a country. And every leader, whether it’s MCA, whether it’s an MP, whether it’s a governor, whether it’s a former who, all of them will have their day in court,” stated Murkomen.
He urged the Chief Justice to adopt a tougher stance against those causing chaos.
“It is the duty of the chief justice and the courts to take the most severe step to make sure that we get rid of this anarchist who want to lock our country and mess it,” said Murkomen.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to defending the nation.
“We will make sure that we defend this nation with all the energy, with all the powers that the people of Kenya gave you, Your Excellency, so that our nation can move forward,” noted Murkomen.
