Rogue command: Murkomen, Amin, the architects of State terror

In the annals of Kenya's turbulent history, the names of those who wield state power with impunity become etched in public consciousness as symbols of a dark era. As the nation continues to grapple with a wave of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and a palpable clampdown on dissent, two names have emerged as the primary architects of a security apparatus seemingly unhinged from constitutional constraints: Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Director Mohamed Amin.

 A growing body of evidence, court filings, and reports from reputable human rights organizations paint a sickening picture of their tenure. It is a narrative of systematic human rights violations, orchestrated from the highest echelons of the security command. The facade of constitutional governance has been stripped bare, revealing a state machinery deployed not to protect citizens, but to terrorize them into submission.

 At the heart of the crisis of enforced disappearances lies the DCI's Operations Support Unit (OSU). Human Rights Watch (HRW) has uncovered that this secretive unit within the DCI is behind the alarming rise in abductions. The OSU, established to replace the disbanded Special Service Unit (SSU), is alleged to be operating with the same impunity as its predecessor.

OSU under Amin's watch abducted Standard Group editor Alex Kiprotich. Almost 72 hours after the abduction did DCI officers get to dust the car that Kiprotich was using. A DCI source privy to the ongoing told The Standard the delay is to contaminate the evidence so that the case does not fly.

"Investigators managed to track the vehicles that were being used and it was not one but two. The other one had the coordinator of the ordeal and he was getting briefs from the executors. When investigators place officers at the crime scene, then the matter is taken to Amin for direction," he said

 According to HRW, a smaller, covert group within the OSU carries out illicit operations under the direction of Amin and  Murkomen. "Operation Support Unit replaced the SSU, and it is doing exactly what the SSU used to do. SSU would abduct people randomly across the country," stated Otsieno Namwaya, Associate Director at Africa Human Rights Watch.

 The unit is reportedly headed by Zachary Kariuki, a long-time ally of Amin. Once known as the driver for retired President Mwai Kibaki, Kariuki now leads a team of 47 officers with a fleet of 17 vehicles, a disparity in resources compared to ordinary police stations struggling with fuel and transport shortages.

 The concerns over the DCI's clandestine operations reached fever pitch in July 2026 when the High Court summoned  DCI Director Mohamed Amin to personally appear over the disappearance of three Mathare activists.

 The three men, Macmillan Kiarie Mugo, Evans Otieno Omondi, and Michael Oloo Osoro, were reportedly picked up by armed men in unmarked vehicles. In a dramatic courtroom scene, Justice Alexander Muasya Muteti ordered  Amin to appear on July 20 to explain the whereabouts of the men.

The proceedings were briefly disrupted by activist Julius Kamau, who disrobed and shouted, "I want to die here today. We cannot continue like this," as distraught mothers wept and demanded their sons be produced in court. State counsel Paul Nyamodi informed the court that the men were not in police custody, a claim met with disbelief and anger from relatives and human rights activists. "Kenya has turned into another Haiti," they shouted, as the court maintained its authority, ordering the security chiefs to file affidavits and appear in person.

While Amin bossed over the machinery of abductions, Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen has been accused of issuing incendiary public orders that legal experts argue amount to incitement to kill. Recently, the High Court gave Murkomen 14 days to respond to petitions seeking his removal over alleged "shoot-to-kill" remarks.

The remarks, made during a public address in Kikuyu Town on June 26, 2025, in the aftermath of deadly Gen Z-led protests, were captured on video. Murkomen is quoted as saying, "If anyone gets close to a police station, shoot and kill them. That is an order from above, not just from me".

 Yesterday Murkomen distanced himself from the service and unit. Speaking during the passing-out parade of new Administration Police recruits in Nairobi, Murkomen said the Inspector General has authority over key operational matters within the service, including investigations, promotions and deployment of officers.

 “Your Excellency, the Inspector General of Police retains the command of the National Police Service, especially on matters of investigation, promotion and deployment of officers without interference from anyone, including the Cabinet Secretary. We will continue respecting Article 245 of the Constitution,” Murkomen said.

The Cabinet Secretary also addressed concerns over his role in directing the police, saying that his responsibility is primarily to provide policy direction rather than interfere with the operational command of the service.

“When required to give policy direction, I always give it in writing and we will continue to support the independence of the National Police Service from external interference,” Murkomen said.

 However, an officer, who requested anonymity as he is not authorised to speak on behalf of the service, distanced Kanja from the OSU abduction and killer squad, putting the blame squarely at the feet of political operatives.

"If an officer is deployed because of a lawful operational decision made within the police command, accountability can properly be traced through that command structure.

But if an officer or group of officers is mobilised, directed, or influenced through political channels outside that structure, the political actors involved cannot transfer responsibility for their actions to the Inspector-General simply because the persons involved happen to be police officers. Adding: "The IG should be held accountable where there is evidence that he authorised, facilitated, condoned, or knowingly failed to stop unlawful conduct within his command."

The Katiba Institute has filed a petition seeking to hold Murkomen personally liable for deaths and serious injuries resulting from police actions following these remarks. They argue that by purporting to direct police officers, Murkomen acted outside his constitutional mandate. "The petitioners want the court to find Murkomen personally liable for harm arising from the alleged constitutional violations and unlawful use of force by police officers," court documents state.

The allegations are grounded in reality. Reports indicate that more than 90 people, including minors and university students, were killed during the 2024 and 2025 protests, many by live police gunfire. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) documented 57 killings between December 2024 and December 2025, many occurring during the peak of youth-led protests. Among the cases cited were the daylight killing of human rights defender Richard Raymond Otieno in Elburgon, the fatal police shooting of 12-year-old schoolgirl Bridgit Njoki Wainaina in Kiambu, and the custodial death of Albert Omondi Ojwang at Central Police Station.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International Kenya found that authorities failed to investigate or prosecute any police officer over the killing of at least 31 people during the 2023 cost-of-living protests. The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) acknowledged registering 60 killings linked to the 2024 protests but failed to address allegations of abductions and enforced disappearances.

The KNCHR reported that at least 26 and 15 people are still missing from the 2024 and 2025 protests, respectively. The commission documented 661 cases of torture, arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances, including 15 abductions such as that of fisherman Brian Odhiambo, whose whereabouts remain unknown.

Beyond the violence, there has been a systematic assault on civic space. HRW documented that plainclothes security forces abducted, tortured, and forcibly disappeared individuals suspected of organizing and supporting anti-government protests and social media activists. In June and July 2025, the authorities switched off signals of media houses and blocked livestreaming of protests by social media activists.

 In July 2025, activist Reuben Kigame filed a petition seeking leave to privately prosecute Murkomen, Amin, and others over crimes against humanity, arguing that the state's failure to act has fueled a culture of impunity. The petition details more than 90 deaths, including the killing of blogger Albert Ojwang while in police custody and the shooting of street vendor Boniface Kariuki by police in full public view.