Interior CS Murkomen orders arrest of youth caught in viral video desecrating Kenyan flag

Kenya and Somalia’s diplomatic rivalry has flared up again after viral videos showed unruly fans desecrating the Kenyan flag during last weekend’s CAF Champions League clash between Kenya Police FC and Mogadishu City FC in Nairobi.

The clips showing the flag being stomped on and kicked around have sparked public outrage and official condemnation.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has ordered the arrest, prosecution, and deportation of the culprits, as Somalia’s Ambassador to Kenya, Jabril Ibrahim Abdulle, also denounced the acts.

The two Mogadishu City FC fans are seen, in the viral video, taking turns mocking the Kenyan flag. One spreads it on the ground and kicks it into the air, while the other grabs it mid-flight, rubbing it against his crotch as they burst into laughter.

In a second, seemingly well-choreographed video, a Mogadishu fan wearing a traditional Somali sarong walks up to a Kenya Police FC supporter, snatches his Kenyan flag, and tosses it casually to the ground.

The incident triggered immediate outrage and condemnation; both at the stadium and across social media with many Kenyans describing it as a “blatant act of disrespect.”

Sports journalist Tony Kwalanda condemned the acts, saying: “The flag of Kenya is being mocked, shredded, misused and abused by Mogadishu FC fans at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi. When did we get here?”

One football fan posted: “The flag of Kenya is being mocked, shredded, misused, and abused by Mogadishu FC fans at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi. When did we get here?”

Mohamed Abdikheyr stated on X that: "This is not representative of the average Somali. Sisi hatukuwangi hivi. These boys should be disciplined and banned from future matches. Football is not about this sort of behaviour.”

CS Murkomen, while presiding over the Jukwaa la Usalama Forum in Wajir, called for action to be taken against the culprits.

“Hatutakubali mtu yeyote, iwe Mkenya ama mgeni, kucheza na uhuru wetu and our symbols of national unity, including our national flag. So, bwana IG, take the necessary legal action. Let the law take its course. “As a Ministry of Interior, we must show the world that we take our national flag seriously,” he said.

Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja said: “I have already directed the DCI, ya kwamba huyo mtu anakanyaga bendera yetu ya Kenya…bendera ile ilipiganiwa hapa mpaka tukapata uhuru wetu…hiyo anatuchezea na hatuwezi kubali kamwe,” said IG Kanja.

“The DCI is under direct instructions from the IG that he must move with speed with efficiency to ensure that that man is arrested and taken before a court of law. Bendera yetu lazima iheshimiww”

According to the law; “A person who shows disrespect, in speech, manner or writing, to The Flag shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months…”

The Interior CS warned that Kenya will not be lenient to its neighbouring citizens who disrespect the country.

“Being in Kenya is a privilege, and when you play around with our instruments of national unity, you lose the privilege to live in our country,” stated Murkomen.

“Ama mnataka wageni wachezee bendera yetu? Eti wanakanyaga na kuchoma na kuchezea? That is a flag that was won by sweat and blood.”

Somali ambassador to Kenya Jabril Ibrahim Abdulle has condemned the acts, describing them as regrettable, adding that authorities are investigating the matter for possible action.

"Let me state clearly we regret and firmly condemn the actions of few individuals whose behavior has overshadowed the remarkable performances of both teams," Abdulle stated.

Relations between Kenya and Somalia have long been tense. After Somalia’s independence in 1960, Somali nationalists claimed Kenya’s Northern Frontier District (NFD) as “lost territory,” and pushed for its inclusion in a greater Somalia. Britain rejected the demand, creating Kenya’s North Eastern Region instead before independence in 1963.

This dispute triggered the Shifta War (1963–1967), with Somali-backed insurgents fighting to secede as Kenya cracked down, branding them “shifta,” or bandits.

The war ended in 1967 but left behind death, displacement, and destruction. Today, despite relative peace, Kenya remains involved in pacifying parts of Somalia.