Loose tongue: Murkomen's acid tongue elicits public fury

CS Kipchumba Murkomen at the launch of flagship report and Action plan by the Eastern and Southern Africa Commission on Drugs during the fourth high-level consultation meeting in Nairobi. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]] As anger boils over, amid relentless nationwide protests, surging living costs, extrajudicial killings, and deepening fears of unchecked corruption, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has become a lightning rod for public fury. When he stood before a gathering of police officers on Thursday and told them to "shoot, even if it means killing five or six" protesters if they felt overwhelmed, Murkomen delivered the message with lawyerly precision but an unmistakable menace to the country. "The guns are not decorations," he said, his voice steady. He framed the order as coming "from above," leaving no doubt it carried President William Ruto's blessing. The President is the only officer above the CS. Those words were published and broadcasted across Kenya, stoking outrage, fear, and grim resignation in equal measure. Once celebrated for fighting former President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration for dumping dead bodies in River Yala, Murkomen now embodies the government's hard edge, an unflinching enforcer whose acid tongue, critics warn, has turned firmness into outright authoritarianism. Human Rights defender Boniface Mwangi says Kenyans woke up to the news that women were raped in the dark Wednesday night because there were no matatus in Nairobi, and churches closed their doors to stranded people. "Police officers who patrol the city refused to do their job so that the goons - hired by politicians, could do the worst. Your (Nairobi) governor has ensured that Nairobi has no street lights so that evil can take place in the dark. We are led by evil, demonic, murderous people," said Mr Mwangi. Rights groups and opposition leaders denounced Murkomen's remarks as a blatant green light for extrajudicial killings. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has documented at least 15 deaths during the Wednesday protests that Murkomen routinely dismisses as "acts of terrorism" and an "attempted coup." "He should resign. He' is issuing shoot-to-kill orders in clear violation of the Constitution. This man does not respect the rule of law," said Mariam Bishar, a presenter at a local media house. "Shoot-to-kill orders will just tempt civilians to arm themselves. What is the ratio of police to civilians if just one kid can knock out three officers with a rungu?" posed Collins Wewa, a commentor on public affairs. Murkomen's acid tongue has never stopped wagging since Gen Z-led protests started across the country to demand for good and transparent leadership. Instead of calming anger over taxes, corruption, and a soaring cost of living, he has mocked, threatened, and insulted demonstrators. He has routinely baptised them as paid saboteurs and unruly children, even asking their parents to teach them manners. He labels their demonstrations "terrorism." When confronted with images of teenagers killed by police bullets, he blames protesters for violence. Beyond shoot-to-kill orders, Murkomen has threatened crackdowns on satirical protest art, including AI-generated images showing the President and other officials in coffins. "If your child goes to school and another student puts his face in a coffin photo, don't you think that is a threat?" he asked a public gathering in Uasin Gishu, adding: "If we do not prosecute them, we will not have a country." Critics say such remarks are designed to stoke fear and silence dissent. "Murkomen is using security as an excuse to shut down protest. He is acting like the Bill of Rights doesn't exist," said James Sande, a protester in Nairobi. While Murkomen insists his shoot-to-kill orders carry Dr Ruto's blessings, many see them as brazen, incendiary, and almost vainglorious, a grim signature of his personal brand of swaggering, unrestrained aggression. "He is there to make sure the Executive agenda gets delivered, no matter how unpopular. Taxes, subsidy cuts, protest crackdowns. The message is clear: Complain, and we' will send the police," said Sande. But Murkomen doesn't just enforce policy. He revels in confrontation. When Senator Samson Cherargei called for his resignation over police abuse, Murkomen mocked his academic record live on TV. "He has built his brand on insults, threats, and dismissive arrogance. He thinks that's strength, but it just divides the country even more," said Sande. Interestingly, demonstrators have never taken Murkomen seriously. They ignore him and focus on President Ruto. During the protests, they have display banners reading, "You will not rule us and kill us," "Ruto a one Term president" and "One year no reform no Justice no peace" among others. Murkomen's critics say he has betrayed any promise of police reform. Kenya's police have long been accused of torture, bribery, and extrajudicial killings. But the Interior CS offers no apology for deaths in the streets, only praise for police "professionalism" and condemnation of protesters. "The leadership of our country hates us. They also hate those of us who call them out," Mwangi said, adding: "As always, the political class hated our unity, diversity, and even the decentralised leadership. They feared the huge support that the Remembrance Day was receiving from all corners of the country. And so they got busy plotting how to sabotage us. Murkomen has chosen force over reform. He is normalising abuse with his words." Arnold Maliba, another commentator, accused Murkomen of stoking ethnic tensions for political gain. "The louder he pushes the Mt Kenya narrative, the clearer it becomes they caused the damage to businesses there. Police stations were attacked in Mt Kenya after weeks of divisive rhetoric. Who was this so-called coup leader supposed to be? "Maliba said. Lawyer Nelson Havi was blunt: "I have not seen any video of police officers preventing the looting of shops or shooting a looter. Let Kipchumba Murkomen not fool around." "Contrary to Mr Murkomen's perilous and legally impotent declarations, the use of force by Police is limited under the law, and in any case, the use of lethal force is restricted only to extraordinary circumstances of an imminent threat to the life of an officer, or a member of the public," the Law Society of Kenya, of which Murkomen is a member, said in a statement. Murkomen has flaunted a lifestyle that feels like mockery to Kenyans struggling to afford ugali or rent. On TV, he once boasted of strapping on a Sh900,000 watch, Sh80,000 shoes, and a Sh20,000 tie, offering viewers belt-buying tips with a grin: "I buy one belt every two years and wear it on both sides so it seems like I have two." The quip ricocheted across social media, confirming for many the ruling class' cold, gleeful detachment. At his vetting, Murkomen declared a net worth of Sh550 million, from property deals, farming, and hefty legal fees, an unimaginable sum for millions living on the edge. "That Sh900,000 watch says it all," scoffed one university student. "They are not even trying to hide that they don't care about us." Despite wide public condemnation, Murkomen remains unapologetic. Calls for his resignation have only hardened his defiance. He dismisses his critics as ignorant or malicious. "This has nothing to do with protests, but an unconstitutional attempt to change the regime. The police were able to foil an attempted coup. Our security agencies exercised remarkable restraint amid provocation. I want to say to the brave officers injured while protecting property against rioters and hired thugs, we feel your pain and sacrifice that embody patriotism," Murkomen said. But civil society warns that his brand of acid-tongued repression risks killing Kenya's democracy. "Kenyans have a right to protest. His job is to protect that right while maintaining order, not destroy it," a protester told KTN.

Loose tongue: Murkomen's acid tongue elicits public fury

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