NAIROBI, Kenya — Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has dismissed claims by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua that two Cabinet Secretaries in President William Ruto’s administration are involved in drug trafficking, calling the allegations politically driven and unsupported by evidence.
Murkomen was responding to remarks Gachagua made in an interview last October, in which he accused the government of lacking commitment to combating drug and substance abuse.
Gachagua alleged that the President had appointed two Cabinet Secretaries who were linked to drug networks, undermining the credibility of the anti-narcotics campaign.
“Drug and substance abuse are back in the country. I knew a long time ago that the government was not committed to ending this drug abuse menace in this region,” Gachagua said at the time.
He further claimed that President Ruto had gone ahead and appointed two Cabinet Secretaries he accused of involvement in drug trafficking, arguing that this made Kenya “unique” for having what he described as “two drug barons” serving in Cabinet.
Speaking on Monday, January 12, during an interview on Citizen TV, Murkomen refuted the allegations, saying that all Cabinet Secretaries had been subjected to rigorous vetting before taking office.
“There is a clear and thorough process of vetting all public servants, including Cabinet Secretaries. If there had been even an iota of proof supporting such allegations, none of us would be holding public office today,” Murkomen said.
He said the accusations were not only baseless but also dangerous, as they risked eroding public confidence in government institutions at a time when the state is attempting to intensify the fight against drugs.
Murkomen also launched a personal attack on Gachagua, questioning his record while he served as Deputy President and suggesting that his current statements were meant to deflect attention from what he described as a poor performance in office.
“When it comes to the discussion on drugs and alcohol abuse, the last person who should give us a lecture is the former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua because his record is known to be dismal,” Murkomen said.
“The worst part of him is that I had never seen a more incompetent public servant who understood no single subject in government operations. The reason you see the former Deputy President ranting all the time is that he is trying to cover his incompetence,” he added.
Under Kenya’s constitutional and legal framework, Cabinet Secretaries are vetted by Parliament before appointment and can be removed through impeachment or prosecution if evidence of wrongdoing emerges.
Allegations of involvement in organised crime, including drug trafficking, would fall under serious criminal and integrity offences under the Constitution, the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Act.
Murkomen said leaders should exercise responsibility when making public claims, warning that unverified accusations can undermine ongoing law-enforcement efforts and public trust.
The exchange underscores the increasingly bitter political fallout following Gachagua’s exit from government, with drug policy and state integrity now emerging as key battlegrounds in the widening political divide.
