Murkomen warns protest financiers after deadly Saba Saba demos
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has issued a blunt warning to those fuelling the violent protests that have rocked parts of Kenya, declaring that the reign of terror must end at whatever cost.
Murkomen’s remarks came during an official update on the investigations into the June 25 and July 7 unrest, where he tabled a seven-page report detailing the extent of destruction, deaths, and injuries.
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“To the financiers, organisers, and executors, TAKE NOTE… This reign of terror against the people of Kenya and the impunity of criminal gangs must come to an end at whatever cost,” he posed.
The report lists over 600 injuries, including 48 law enforcement officers, and paints a grim picture of looted businesses, razed police posts, torched hospitals, and rampant vandalism.
“Invasion of hospitals, rape, attacks on ambulances, looting, illegal roadblocks, and the burning of government offices are vile crimes and must be treated as such,” Murkomen said.
The CS urged Kenyans to reject violence and channel grievances through constitutional means, warning that the government would not allow criminals to exploit protests to destabilise the nation.
“I once again urge all citizens to reject and denounce violence. I ask all Kenyans to channel their grievances through legitimate and constitutional means and deny criminals the chance to destabilise our country,” he said.
His statement follows weeks of national tension, fuelled by the aftermath of the 2024 Finance Bill protests and fresh outrage after the custodial death of blogger Albert Omondi Ojwang. The cycle of police brutality, public anger, and opportunistic crime has left parts of the country in crisis.
Murkomen’s message to the alleged financiers, organisers, and executors of the chaos was pointed:
“We cannot, as a government and as a nation, normalise the senseless loss of lives and livelihoods and the threat to peace and stability,” he warned.
According to the Ministry of Interior, over 1,500 suspects have been arrested, with 50 under investigation by the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit for alleged terror-linked offences.
The damage is vast—from Dagoretti to Naivasha, businesses lie in ruins, families are counting losses, and public services remain crippled in some areas.
Murkomen closed his address with a call for unity:
As the investigations continue, the government faces the delicate task of restoring order while addressing the deep-seated grievances driving public unrest.
