Former National Police Service Spokesperson has come out in defence of Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen following public backlash over his recent shoot-to-kill directive aimed at protesters engaging in violent acts, saying the statement was made out of annoyance and in response to rising threats to police officers and public order.
Speaking during an interview on Monday, June 30, 2025, on a local TV station, the ex-police official acknowledged that Murkomen’s words were controversial, but argued they reflected the frustration among law enforcement officers facing increasing hostility during public demonstrations.
“You see, he has said that out of annoyance, out of what people have done, out of restraint. It is an abuse of a policeman beaten carrying his firearm to the ground, and he still restrained himself. He did not shoot at anyone,” he explained.
He emphasized that while the law governing the use of force by police officers is strict, it permits the use of firearms under specific conditions — primarily to protect life, prevent escape by a felon, or stop the rescue of a detained suspect.
“There are provisions in law when police officers use firearms and they are clear. One of them is to protect life. Another one is to restrain a person trying to rescue, maybe a criminal who has committed a felony, or somebody who is escaping from custody who has committed a felony,” he said.
He warned that the current wave of violent protests had endangered not only the lives of police officers but also the public and critical infrastructure. According to him, nine police stations had been attacked or burned, and at least five firearms were stolen from police custody during the unrest.
“In the last incident, we have seen nine police stations destroyed or burned, and we have seen five firearms stolen from the police stations,” he noted.
While expressing sympathy for innocent lives lost during the recent protests, the former spokesperson urged the public to distinguish between peaceful demonstrations and acts of lawlessness.
“Even if you look at some of the cases, we have lost 17 people, which is very sad,” he admitted.
“There’s a 17-year-old boy who we lost in Molo from secondary school. There’s a security guard that we lost from Kenya Power out of what is called a stray bullet.”
The protest ordeal
Other incidents, he added, included injuries sustained during attempted looting of supermarkets and attacks on police stations.
“These are incidences that we can avoid. For example, if we were to have peaceful demonstrations, we cannot have such incidences. But what we have is total anarchy, and this cannot be allowed.”
He called on legal experts to educate the public on the circumstances under which police are allowed to use firearms, adding that the ratio of police to civilians made it critical for officers to maintain authority.
“If the police cannot use their firearms, and the public gets to know they cannot use those firearms against them, then definitely what you are going to see is total anarchy,” he warned.
“The police population is just 120,000 with a real population of 50 million.”
He called for a national dialogue on policing, law, and protest.
“If there is no need for officers to use firearms, let’s agree with legislators that the police officer should not be given firearms at all.”
