Kipchumba Murkomen’s leadership as Interior Cabinet Secretary, Kenya’s security situation has worsened especially in the North Rift region where the brutal killing of Catholic priest Father Alois Cheruiyot Bett in Kerio Valley has exposed the growing lawlessness and the government’s failure to protect lives and property.
Instead of facing the escalating violence with urgency and clear strategy, Murkomen has been jumping from one political function to another, issuing empty statements that offer no hope or direction to the affected communities.
The most disturbing thing is that even after the cold-blooded killing of Father Bett, Murkomen did not rush to the scene or show any sense of alarm. He only gave a statement days later, vaguely blaming unnamed politicians for fueling insecurity but failing to name or arrest anyone, making it obvious that he was more interested in diverting blame than solving the problem.
The “Maliza Uhalifu” operation has become a tired slogan with no results to show, as bandit attacks continue to rise and citizens are left at the mercy of gunmen.
Villages in Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet and West Pokot are living under siege, and yet the ministry remains absent. The Interior CS is rarely on the ground, rarely seen in security meetings with affected communities, and rarely engaged in providing real-time solutions to the crisis.
What Murkomen has been doing instead is making media appearances and issuing political threats that have no impact on the ground. He seems more interested in his image and survival within Ruto’s political circle than in the lives being lost almost daily in the North Rift.
Senator Cherargei has openly called out this failure. He has raised alarm over the continued killings and lack of leadership from the ministry tasked with internal security.
These are not opposition voices looking to score points they are leaders directly witnessing the suffering and fear spreading across their counties. Their frustration with Murkomen reflects a much deeper problem within the current administration’s handling of security matters.
When a Catholic priest is killed while serving his community and the Interior CS responds with vague tweets and recycled statements, then something is terribly wrong. The killing of Father Bett should have triggered immediate, visible, and aggressive action from the state. Instead, it has been treated like just another statistic in a long list of murders.
The rot in the Interior Ministry under Kipchumba Murkomen has reached unacceptable levels and no amount of PR can clean it.
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