Wamae ridicules Murkomen for courting bandits while cracking down on protesters
By Ascah Mwango, July 26, 2025Former Roots Party deputy presidential candidate Justina Wamae has lambasted Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen over what she terms as glaring double standards in the government’s handling of insecurity versus peaceful dissent.
Reacting to Murkomen’s recent proposal to offer scholarships and job opportunities to armed bandits willing to surrender their weapons, Wamae questioned the logic behind rewarding criminal elements while peaceful protesters are met with brutal force and violence.
In a thought-provoking statement shared via her X account on Saturday, July 26, 2025, Wamae wondered aloud what kind of education the government expects bandits to pursue once granted scholarships, pointing to the irony of prioritising rehabilitation of those who have terrorised communities while ignoring or punishing citizens who take to the streets unarmed to express legitimate grievances.
“When the bandit gets the scholarship, which course do you think they will take?” she posed. “Additionally, CS Interior, why negotiate with the bandits when there are shoot-to-kill and shoot-in-the-leg orders in place?” Wamae questioned.
Her remarks follow Murkomen’s announcement during a press briefing at the Elgeyo Marakwet County Commissioner’s office on Friday, July 25, 2025, where he revealed the government was ready to negotiate with armed bandits in North Rift.
He offered to give them scholarships and jobs in the affordable housing sector if they handed in their guns and stopped terrorising the Northern region of Kenya.
“If you own an illegal firearm, we are allowing you the shortest time possible to present it to police officers,” said Murkomen.
Adding;
“Some of these people are of school-going age. Instead of engaging in crime, we will give them scholarships to get skills that they can use to take care of their lives.”
He said that the reformed bandits would be enrolled in technical training institutions and later deployed to construction sites to support the Affordable Housing project.
Shoot-on-leg
At the height of recent protests in Kenya, President William Ruto directed police to shoot in the legs anyone found burning or looting property during protests.
“We want peace in Kenya, people to do business. A person who is going to burn another person’s business and property—such a person should be shot in the legs, taken to the hospital, and then to court. They should not kill him, but they should shoot the legs.”
Ruto stressed that the police must not kill innocent civilians but must act firmly against criminals.
“We cannot accept people who burn other people’s property and business. Is there justice there? Police should not shoot citizens to kill, but the criminals should be dealt with,” he said.