Murkomen backs NIS and KDF bosses after uproar over their warning
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has defended the National Intelligence Service (NIS) director Noordin Haji and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) General Charles Kahariri after their recent warning sparked a public uproar.
Murkomen, who was speaking during a church service in Makutano, Meru, on Sunday, March 30, 2025, emphasised the importance of order in the country, arguing that the warnings from the two officials were based on valuable information and were meant to safeguard the nation’s future.
“If we are going to become a country that has order, forget about this thing; you are answering the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and the NIS Director. These two gentlemen are speaking from information, and they are warning you, warning your country, and warning your future,” Murkomen said.
He criticised the ongoing social media arguments and politicians’ scattered remarks about Haji and Kahariri’s recent statements.
Asserting that the country’s future depends on maintaining order and discipline, Murkomen warned that Kenya’s peace is not guaranteed and could easily be lost, as seen in neighbouring countries.
He stressed the importance of doing things in an orderly manner to avoid instability.
“You are making social media arguments, and politicians are speaking out here and there,” he added.
“The future of a country needs order; otherwise, there is a reason this country is at peace. We could as well easily be in the same situation with our neighbours; we are not too special. We could be sitting in a refugee camp in another country. We have to warn ourselves as a nation that we must do things in order.”
Murkomen on political leadership
He further explained that there are systems in place, such as impeachment processes and legal procedures, to address wrongdoings and ensure accountability of elected leaders after elections.
“After elections, there’s a proper way to remove people from office. If someone makes a mistake, there are ways of impeachment. If someone does something wrong, there are ways they can be arrested and imprisoned,” he added.
Murkomen’s remarks came in support of the military and intelligence leadership, who had cautioned the public and political leaders about the dangers of destabilising the country through reckless actions and statements.
CDF on remarks
Speaking at the National Intelligence and Research University in Nairobi during a public lecture by National Intelligence Service (NIS) boss Noordin Haji on Thursday, March 27, 2025, Kahariri emphasised that Kenyans must prioritise love for their country to avoid chaos.
He stressed that exercising rights should remain within constitutional bounds to prevent the country from falling apart, adding that any calls for change, such as the ‘Must Go‘ slogan, must be pursued constitutionally to avoid anarchy.
“Unless we love our country first, we will soon have no country, and if there is no spare, we can not have anarchy in the country. So, as people exercise their rights, they should be within limits, within bounds, such that we can not allow them to exercise their rights to the extent of tearing apart the country,” Kahariri said.
“The military: we are apolitical; we do not support any political side. We defend the constitution and the government of the day, duly elected by the people, so when people decide that they are tired of this government and you choose it yourself, and then you say, ‘Must go, ‘Must go‘, that ‘Must go‘ must be done according to the constitution.”
