Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has condemned Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen over remarks perceived as an order for police to shoot anyone approaching police stations.
Speaking during a church service in Bondo, Siaya County, the ODM party leader said such comments by a senior government official were dangerous and unconstitutional.
“Anybody giving instructions to a police officer to shoot anyone who gets near a police station, it’s a big shame. Shame on you,” Raila said.
The former Prime Minister warned that encouraging extra-judicial killings undermines the rule of law and could damage public trust in the police. “We should not encourage taking away life in a way that is not constitutional. If someone has committed a crime, that person should be subjected to the law and taken to court. If the court finds him guilty, sentence him,” he added.
While condemning the remarks, Raila also criticised the destruction of property and attacks on police stations witnessed during the June 25 Gen Z protests. “We condemn the criminals who went to the streets to destroy property and burn a police station. That is not a solution,” he said.
CS Murkomen made the controversial remarks on Thursday, shortly after addressing the media about the state of the country following the protests. In his statement, he appeared to encourage police to shoot anyone threatening or invading police stations.
The comments were met with widespread backlash from the public, human rights groups, and political leaders. Murkomen later defended himself, claiming that his remarks had been taken out of context and that he was speaking within the framework of the law.
“My statement was made contextually and consciously with clarity of mind based on the express provisions of the law. No leader, scholar, jurist, journalist, blogger, or opinion shaper has challenged me on the law,” Murkomen said.
The June 25 protests, which marked the first anniversary of the 2024 Gen Z-led anti-Finance Bill demonstrations, turned violent in many parts of the country. Several people lost their lives, and property worth millions was destroyed. Human rights groups reported that hundreds were injured, many allegedly by police officers.
Over 700 people have been arrested over looting and destruction of property across the country in intensified post-protest crackdown.
