Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has come out strongly in defense of the National Police Service, criticizing what he described as staged abductions meant to tarnish the image of law enforcement and incite public mistrust.
Speaking during a session discussing the Strategic Goods Bill, Murkomen lauded the sacrifices made by police officers, particularly those deployed in high-risk areas such as Kenya’s North Eastern region, where officers routinely face threats including improvised explosive device (IED) attacks from cross-border enemies.
“Our security officers do a fantastic job,” Murkomen said. “The National Police Service, the Inspector General, his deputies, and their teams are sacrificing so much, especially in areas like the North Eastern region.”
However, Murkomen expressed frustration that these sacrifices are being undermined by what he alleged to be politically motivated theatrics—referring to recent incidents where individuals have allegedly staged their own abductions and then blamed the police.
“Only for someone to write a script, abduct themselves and then come and ‘stupidify’ the entire police service,” he said. “Eventually it turns out the same script ends up with a night of fun, drinks, and undisclosed benefits, only for the person to be mysteriously dropped somewhere, recorded, and made viral.”
Murkomen cautioned that such actions not only undermine the credibility of security agencies but also risk spiraling into dangerous territory, including possible staged killings.
“Tomorrow, someone might stage a killing or a serious abduction that will go wrong, and the same people will blame the government,” he warned.
The CS praised President William Ruto for upholding his promise to end extrajudicial killings, claiming that such abuses are no longer state-sanctioned. He said some individuals are now exploiting that restraint to manufacture crises for political gain.
“We must thank President William Ruto. He kept his word that extrajudicial killings would be a thing of the past. And now, since this is not happening, some people are staging these acts themselves.”
Murkomen urged Parliament to support the creation of a robust legal framework to punish those who stage abductions or incite the public with false claims. He emphasized that no one should be above the law, regardless of their past positions in government.
“Having held high office should not be an insurance policy for breaking the law or misleading the public,” he said.
