Murkomen: My dream is a Kenya where police escort peaceful protesters
By Faith Lagat, July 15, 2025Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has painted a bold vision for Kenya’s future, calling for peaceful demonstrators to be escorted—not attacked—by police officers during public protests.
Speaking during a public address on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, he noted with concern that Kenya should be at a place where they are fully tied to the constitution, especially Article 37 of the Kenyan constitution.
“My dream is to see a country where peaceful demonstrators are walking in the streets carrying their pamphlets, regalia, and paraphernalia and are being escorted by police officers marching through defined routes and within designated areas. Everybody should go home without harming the citizens of this country,” Murkomen said.
His remarks come in the wake of deadly protests on June 25 and July 7, 2025, when violent confrontations between police and demonstrators left people dead, others injured, and police stations set ablaze.
The recent chaos has reignited national debate on the balance between the right to protest and maintaining public order.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) confirmed that the death toll from the Saba Saba demonstrations has risen to 38, with at least 130 more people injured across the country.
In a press statement released Friday evening, July 11, 2025, the Commission condemned the excessive use of force and called on the government to urgently address the mounting human rights violations.
Murkomen’s vision directly ties to Article 37 of the Kenyan Constitution, which guarantees the right to assemble, demonstrate, picket, and petition peacefully. His call signals a strategic shift: from cracking down on protests to managing them within legal frameworks that protect both the demonstrators and the public.
“This is not just a dream—it is the law,” Murkomen emphasised, referencing the Constitution. He noted that creating specific protest routes and designated areas will help prevent the kind of destruction that has marred recent demonstrations while ensuring freedom of expression is safeguarded.
Addressing concerns over police brutality, Murkomen issued a stern warning to law enforcement officers:
“There is no law that excuses a police officer from committing crimes or killing people. Any claims of officers killing civilians must and will be investigated. All cases of excesses will be investigated.”
These assurances come after widespread acts of police misconduct during the Saba Saba protests. Murkomen pledged that rogue officers will be held accountable to rebuild public trust in the security forces.
His statement reflects a broader government effort to defuse tensions, restore order, and rebuild confidence in the democratic process. “We are really going to it. Hopefully, we will make it,” Murkomen said, acknowledging the challenges ahead.
As Kenya navigates this fragile moment, the CS’s vision offers a pathway toward a more democratic and harmonious society—one where the streets become arenas of expression, not violence.