CS Murkomen under fire as senators decry rising insecurity after Kitui killings

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen is facing mounting criticism from senators over what they describe as worsening insecurity marked by killings, banditry and organised criminal attacks across the country.

The lawmakers spoke during a heated Senate session.

The debate followed a string of violent incidents, including an attack in Tseikuru, Kitui County, where seven people were killed.

Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua sparked the discussion after seeking a formal statement from the Senate on the killings, which have left residents living in fear.

“I seek a statement from the Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations on a matter of countywide concern regarding the horrific killing of seven people in Kwa Kamari, Tseikuru ward, Kitui county, by bandits on April 25, and the killing of a schoolboy in Ukasi, Nguni ward, on April 28,” Wambua said.

He called for investigations to establish the cause of the attacks and for long-term measures to restore security in the region.

The concerns come amid reports of insecurity in various parts of the country.

Earlier this month, Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi was attacked and critically injured in Kisumu.

Nominated Senator Tabitha Mutinda termed the situation “deeply disturbing” and urged the government to act.

“It is sad that, as a country, we are discussing such matters where our people are being killed. We need the minister for security to go to this region urgently, address the situation and remove what is causing this problem for the people of Kitui county,” she said.

“Robbery is everywhere in this country, yet nothing is being done. Kenyans are no longer safe,” Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei said.

Machakos Senator Agnes Kavindu said banditry in Kitui has persisted for years, warning that repeated statements in the Senate have yielded little change.

“Since I joined the Senate, Senator Wambua has consistently raised this issue. It is high time the government puts in place a permanent solution. We have the capacity and security apparatus to ensure the people of Kitui live in peace,” she said.

Nyandarua Senator John Methu criticised the Interior Ministry for what he termed silence in the face of rising insecurity.

“It cannot be that we have not heard even a single comment from the Minister for Interior. In a functioning democracy, the CS should assure citizens of what is being done. Where are the police to protect life and property?” he posed.

The criticism follows a mid-afternoon raid in Tseikuru sub-county, Mwingi North, where about 40 heavily armed attackers stormed Kwa Kamari trading centre and opened fire.

Six men and one woman were killed in the attack, while another person survived with gunshot injuries and is receiving treatment at Tseikuru Level IV Hospital.

According to Tseikuru Deputy County Commissioner Ann Mwangi, the attackers were armed with automatic rifles and pangas and are believed to be from a pastoralist community. They reportedly arrived in two unmarked vehicles after grazing camels inside the nearby Mwingi North Game Reserve.

The victims’ bodies were moved to Kyuso Level 4 Hospital mortuary.