Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has launched a scathing attack on Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen over his controversial remarks urging police to shoot anyone who approaches a police station during protests.

Gachagua, who spoke during an interview on Friday night, described Murkomen as “a young, excited CS full of himself because of money and power,” accusing him of making illegal and reckless pronouncements that could lead to loss of innocent lives and legal consequences for law enforcement officers.

“He cannot, against the law, give instructions to police to shoot and kill. To start with, when he was in the Senate, he said the National Police Service is independent and he cannot give them direction on what to do. Then here again he is asking the police to shoot to kill anybody within the vicinity of police stations,” Gachagua said in an interview with NTV.

The Democracy for the Citizens Party leader went on to tear into Murkomen’s character, claiming the former Elgeyo Marakwet Senator had become arrogant and full of impunity for being a close ally to President William Ruto.

The former DP alleged that he had once advised his former boss not to appoint Murkomen as the Interior CS after winning the presidency over his attitude and general approach to serious matters of leadership.

“Murkomen is one of those young boys around William Ruto with a bloated ego, arrogance and impunity. I had a problem when Ruto wanted to appoint Murkomen as Interior CS when we came in, and I told him that this job requires someone a little bit mature—someone who can regulate the security sector with a bit of knowledge, understanding and calmness,” he said.

Gachagua thus warned security officers against blindly obeying illegal directives, advising them to be guided by the law and ignore the cabinet secretary, adding that most leaders in the government only wanted to use the police to orchestrate unlawful deeds.

Citing the recent murder of Albert Ojwang, which saw several police officers charged in court, Gachagua rubbished Murkomen’s claims that he would protect officers who open fire on civilians.

“Please follow the law and don’t take that stupid instruction from Kipchumba Murkomen seriously. Because if you shoot somebody, you will be arrested and taken to court. I have told police officers to be careful; I worked with William Ruto and people close to him. They are users; they will use you, and when things get out of hand, they will sacrifice you at high noon,” he warned.

“I heard Murkomen telling police officers to shoot people, and he will protect them. That is a lie, and they should not believe him. Police officers have seen what has happened to officers who tortured and killed Albert Ojwang—today they are in custody before the court on their own and are facing murder charges. Yet the man who gave them instructions is at home doing his own things.”

Gachagua defended the public’s right to access police stations, warning that even in protected areas like State House or the Department of Defence, it would be unlawful to shoot at civilians.

“A police station is a public institution, and members of the public have every right to go there. Even where you have protected areas like the State House and installations like the Department of Defence, if people turn up there, you don’t shoot them. You find out the reason why they are there and arrest them if they have an ulterior motive,” he stated.

Murkomen has been under fire over his shoot-to-kill orders, where he said, “Na tumeambia polisi mtu yeyote atakaribia police station piga yeye risasi… Mtu mwenye anaenda kuiba bunduki, abembelezwe?” “Bunduki sio mandazi!”