'Which Kenya are you living in?' CS Murkomen under intense fire for brushing off nationwide goon wave

Speaking in Naiberi, Uasin Gishu County, the Interior Minister firmly dismissed widely circulated concerns regarding the proliferation of state-sanctioned or politically mobilized criminal gangs, categorizing the situation as an overhyped narrative manufactured by failing politicians.

According to CS Murkomen, the true crisis in Kenya stems from a intellectual deficiency among political leaders who lack substantive campaign ideas.

He argued that certain politicians deliberately engineer local violence, hire youth to disrupt their own gatherings, and subsequently weaponize the ensuing chaos to claim a national emergency. 

Murkomen also went further to brazenly ask politicians why they would visit a goon-infested area in the first place, reasoning that if they were fully aware or goon activity in Homa Bay, they would have simply stayed at home.

"Wewe ukijua Homa Bay, mtu amepanga goons. Na polisi washawaambia kwamba kuna mtu amepanga goons, why are you going there? Si uende nyumbani, upange mkutano ingine yenye haina goons? Why are you forcing yourself?" he asked. 

Asserting that Kenya remains entirely safe and secure, Murkomen also advised political leaders to keep their rivalries constrained to parliamentary debates rather than bringing violent altercations to ordinary citizens. 

"For politicians, mwende mwitane kwa bunge, piganeni ngumi hapo. Msilete kukuja kupigana na wananchi kwa sehemu hii, ati ndio mucreate crisis. Na kusema ati Murkomen, sijui IG must resign..." he stated. 

He further alleged that leaders such as Siaya Governor James Orengo and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino had mobilized youths from Nairobi to disrupt political gatherings in Homa Bay, pointing out that several suspects had been intercepted by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

"Huyu Orengo, na Babu Owino, na hiyo team yenye ilikuwa inaenda Homa Bay, wanataka kudanganya nani? Si walikuwa wamekusanya 100 goons kutoka Nairobi, DCI akawashika kabla hawajafika Homa Bay?" he posed. 

Murkomen's statements synchronized with comments from Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat, who spoke during preparations for a police pass-out parade at the Kiganjo Police Training College in Nyeri. 

DIG Lagat vehemently rejected claims that the National Police Service (NPS) acts in complicity with criminal elements or provides cover for thugs who disrupt opposition events. 

Maintaining that the police operate strictly within the law without political bias, Lagat highlighted that no concrete evidence has been presented linking officers to gang violence. 

He expressed strong confidence that the deployment of thousands of newly trained officers graduating from national police academies will significantly bolster security and neutralize rogue gangs.

The declarations made by CS Murkomen and the police leadership triggered an intense, polarizing response across Kenyan social media platforms, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), where commentary referencing the Interior Ministry surged, with many castigating the CS for his apparent brutishness in handling the highly sensitive matter. 

A vast section of netizens expressed outright indignation, accusing the Cabinet Secretary of gaslighting the public and deflecting state accountability. 

Many users questioned how the government could downplay the menace of political violence when high-profile disruptions, physical assaults on politicians, and street hooliganism have been captured on camera nationwide.

"We once had Julius Sunkuli, John Michuki, George Saitoti, Joseph Nkaissery, and Fred Matiang’i holding this position. These were men whose safety the country never had to worry about because they were in charge! Now we have this one heading the same ministry. What a mockery!" someone wrote on X.

Someone else said, "Enhe! So even Kenyans who are affected by Banditry will be asked “if you know there are bandits why do you live there?”" 

X user Joan Mutuku also chimed in, saying: ""Murkomen saying Kenya doesn’t have a goon crisis is peak gaslighting. We see these armed gangs disrupting rallies in broad daylight on live TV, and the Interior CS tells us it’s just 'imagination'? Unbelievable."

Yet another person reasoned: ""So the Interior CS’s official security advice is: 'If you know there are goons in Homa Bay, why are you going there?' That is complete surrender of state machinery to criminal gangs. Insecurity has now been normalized."

Murkomen’s remarks come amid growing political tensions over allegations of organised youth groups being used to disrupt political activities ahead of the 2027 General Election.