A visibly angered Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has issued a direct and immediate order to the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja: track down and arrest individuals he bluntly labeled as “goons” allegedly working under the cover of opposition politics.
The dramatic directive came on Friday, not from an official podium in Nairobi, but during a deeply emotional burial ceremony at Mangu Farm in Nakuru County. The event was for Mitchelle Jelimo Kemboi, the daughter of Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) boss William Ruto.
While mourning with the family, Murkomen took a sharp detour into what he described as a growing and dangerous trend of intimidation targeting senior government officials. He specifically claimed that elements within the opposition are hiring rowdy youth to disrupt public order and, more alarmingly, attempting to link his Interior Principal Secretary, Raymond Omollo, to the same criminal networks.
“I saw some of the opposition leaders linking my PS to goons,” Murkomen charged, his voice carrying a mix of frustration and defiance. “I want to dare them to come out and denounce the goons they are walking and working with. I want to ask the Inspector General to move with speed and arrest all those boys they work with so that they can become an example.”
The CS didn’t mince his words, accusing opposition figures of hypocrisy. He argued that the very people who “pontificate to the public” about good governance are the same ones orchestrating chaos behind the scenes.
“Some of the leading people in recruiting goons are sitting in the opposition. That is why they are shifting the blame to the public. We will do our jobs without fear or favour and make sure that we get rid of goons from this country,” Murkomen added.
The Trigger: A Brutal Attack in Kisumu
The CS’s fury appears to have been triggered by a recent violent incident in Kisumu that has since shocked the political class. Vihiga Senator Geoffrey Osotsi was brutally attacked at a coffee house, leaving him with serious injuries that required an emergency airlift to a Nairobi hospital.
CCTV footage of the assault, which has been widely circulated, shows a level of brutality that leaders from across the political divide have unanimously condemned. In response to that attack, a Kisumu court has already ordered suspects linked to the Osotsi incident to remain in custody for seven days.
Resident Magistrate Daniel Chumba has also directed a full forensic audit of the CCTV footage as investigators finalize their case. The prosecution is pushing for charges of robbery with violence, though defense lawyers have argued that their clients’ rights were violated during arrest.
Omollo Speaks Out
Ironically, the very PS that some had tried to smear—Raymond Omollo has publicly condemned the violence against Senator Osotsi. In a statement that echoes his boss’s tough stance, Omollo insisted that no one should be above the law.
“For sure, what happened to Osotsi was unfortunate. Any leader who uses goons must be held accountable and face the full force of the law,” Omollo said.
As the political temperature rises, all eyes are now on Inspector General Kanja to see how swiftly he acts on the CS’s public command. For Murkomen, the message was clear: the days of political goons operating with impunity are numbered.