Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen recently offered a clarification regarding instances of police officers soliciting money for fuel from Kenyan citizens. During a security tour of the Nyanza region on September 11, 2025, while inspecting a guard of honour at the Migori County Commissioner's office, Murkomen stated that such solicitations are often made to supplement what he described as modest fuel disbursements from the government.

Murkomen elaborated on the operational challenges faced by the police, explaining that many police vehicles are in constant use, operating day and night to transport suspects across various locations. This continuous operation, he noted, rapidly depletes the allocated fuel allowances. He further pointed out that official fueling points are scarce and widely dispersed, compelling officers to undertake long commutes simply to refuel, which in turn consumes more fuel that could otherwise be used for serving the public.

While the Interior CS did not explicitly reference specific past events to support his assertions, the case of Albert Ojwang remains a prominent example in the public consciousness, highlighting the extensive distances sometimes covered by police. Ojwang, a blogger, was reportedly apprehended and transported approximately 1,000 kilometers from Taita Taveta, where he was a teacher, to his rural home in Homa Bay, and then to Nairobi, all under the guise of