Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen at Jukwaa la Usalama in Kirinyaga on August 22, 2025 [MURKOMEN/X]Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has criticised the homecoming reception accorded to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Speaking on Friday during the Jukwaa la Usalama forum in Kirinyaga County, Murkomen expressed disappointment at what he described as “political games” being staged at one of the country’s most critical and protected installations.
“I was very saddened that political activists were going to 'play games' in our airport. The airport is a protected area. It’s not a place to play the kind of politics that we saw,” he said.
According to the CS, the airport welcome was marred by unnecessary showmanship and disruption, which he argued had lacked political and economic benefit.
“We saw people entering the airport with a lot of razzmatazz for pure zero political, economic value, and zero PR. For it to be done inside the airport is totally unacceptable,” Murkomen remarked.
The homecoming event for the former Deputy President attracted a crowd of supporters and political allies who thronged the airport to receive him, causing unusual activity within the secure space.
Groups chanted slogans and waved banners, creating what the CS described as a security risk.
Murkomen faulted the organisers for failing to engage security agencies in advance to ensure order and compliance.
He claimed that police officers present at the airport were caught unprepared due to a lack of prior communication from Gachagua’s team.
“Sometimes, because we are not informed about the magnitude of the plans of political actors, the police are just on standby to see if there is any problem. Like yesterday, police were just on standby because there was no clear notification on what was going to happen and what routes,” he explained.
The CS stressed that while political leaders have the right to be received by their supporters, such events must be coordinated with relevant authorities to avoid breaching security guidelines.
He said that had the organisers followed procedure, the reception could have been conducted in a safe and orderly manner.
“If the team was intended to do good for our country, they would have worked with the police. They would say, ‘We are welcoming our visitor, can you give us a designated area?’ They could have asked, ‘Can our vehicles be parked in a particular way and escorted to the place we want to have a rally?’ Everything would have been fine,” he said.
Murkomen reiterated that the government remains committed to facilitating political events provided organisers give adequate notice to law enforcement and aviation authorities.
He warned against turning sensitive installations into political arenas, cautioning that such actions undermine security.
“Protection will always be provided if adequate notification is given to security in advance for rallies. But airports are not playgrounds for politics,” he said.
