KERICHO, Kenya — Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has accused some opposition politicians of deliberately inciting violence at political rallies to gain public sympathy, warning that law enforcement will take firm action against anyone found culpable.
Murkomen spoke on Sunday during a church service in Kericho. His remarks followed chaos at a Linda Mwananchi rally in Kakamega on Saturday.
Tear gas was reportedly hurled into the crowd in an apparent attempt to disrupt the gathering led by embattled ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna. A similar disruption was reported at a Linda Mwananchi event in Kitengela last week.
“I want to request politicians — those who were in Kakamega yesterday, those who were in Nyeri, those who have been in Nairobi — to hold their meetings peacefully,” Murkomen said.
“Do not give us this comedy where you go to a meeting with tear gas. You go to a meeting carrying tear gas yourself, and you go with thugs, guns, knives, stones and clubs.”
The CS said the government would not allow leaders to manipulate public sympathy or provoke unrest ahead of the 2027 General Election. He directed the Inspector General of Police to ensure thorough investigations into the incidents.
“We will deal with it firmly. The Inspector General has a responsibility to ensure that anyone who was throwing tear gas yesterday is not blamed on the police officers; that person must be charged and arrested for such acts of seeking sympathy and inciting the people of Kenya,” he said.
Murkomen framed the incidents as part of a broader security challenge. He argued that politicians without policy platforms were mobilising unemployed youths to disrupt meetings and fuel conflict.
“The main challenge we face as a country is insecurity caused by politicians who have no policies. They mobilize young goons, send them to meetings, and go create conflict between brothers,” he said.
However, Sifuna and his allies have directly blamed state security agencies for the disruptions. They allege that police targeted Linda Mwananchi’s rallies to intimidate supporters and suppress political mobilisation.
In a statement on Sunday, Sifuna claimed that the group’s commercial flight bookings from Kisumu International Airport to Nairobi were leaked ahead of the Kakamega rally. He alleged that airline itineraries were shared with officials in the Ministry of Interior, exposing them to security risks.
“We need to hear from the Kenya Airports Authority whether Kisumu is still an International Airport and whether they can still guarantee the safety of all passengers transiting through there. How they allowed goons to barricade the airport needs to be explained,” Sifuna said.
