'Shame on you', Raila slams Murkomen over shoot-to-kill order

Raila Odinga and CS Kipchumba Murkomen.[Photo, X]

The Orange Democratic Movement party leader, Raila Odinga, has criticised Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen over his shoot-to-kill directive to police.

Speaking on Sunday at ACK St Peter's Parish in Bondo, Siaya county, Raila condemned Murkomen's statement, which suggested that the police had the right to use lethal force to defend public infrastructure

"We have witnessed a lot of bloodshed recently. Children who went out to demonstrate, some of them died, some of them were shot by the police," Raila said.

"The police should never ever shoot to kill. Police have no licence to kill human beings. If somebody has committed a crime, arrest that person and take them before a court of law".

Raila condemned the looting and destruction of property witnessed during the June 25 demonstrations.

However, he condemned the shoot-to-kill directive, terming it shameful.

"So, anybody giving instructions to a police officer that if anybody comes close to a police station, shoot them, it's a shame. Shame on you. We should not encourage the taking away of life in a way which is not constitutional," Raila said.

Murkomen has since denied issuing a shoot-to-kill directive, claiming his comments were a legal interpretation of the rights police officers have to defend themselves from danger.

"I am saying this with all humility. I cannot order an Inspector General of Police on anything because the Constitution does not allow me to do so," Murkomen said on Saturday.

"What I did was to state the law. You will not find me anywhere saying somebody should be shot or killed. You will not find me anywhere saying a police officer should take orders from me."

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), has reported that at least 19 people lost their lives during the protests, 531 were injured, and 15 remain forcibly disappeared.