Murkomen defends Ruto’s proposal of death penalty for hard drug traffickers
By Nancy Marende, January 13, 2026Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has defended President William Ruto’s recent remarks proposing the death penalty for hard drug traffickers, saying the comments were meant to underscore the gravity of the drug menace facing the country rather than announce an immediate policy shift.
Speaking during an interview with a local TV station on Monday, January 12, 2026, Murkomen acknowledged that the death penalty has already been declared unconstitutional by the courts.
However, he explained that the President’s remarks were driven by the growing crisis of drug and alcohol abuse, particularly among young people.
“The death penalty has been declared unconstitutional. But the President was figuratively speaking, edged by the challenges that we have. Young people are dying because of alcohol addiction and abuse of hard drugs such as cocaine. These are people we know — our neighbours, our friends,” Murkomen said.
According to the CS, President Ruto’s statement was intended to send a strong message about how seriously the government views drug trafficking and substance abuse, which Murkomen described as a national emergency threatening the country’s social fabric and future generation.
“He wanted to give an expression of the extreme we are willing to go as a nation to deal with this problem,” Murkomen added.
Murkomen clarified that translating such strong sentiments into law rests with policymakers, who must ensure that any measures adopted are constitutional and implementable.
He revealed that after consultations with the President, the focus shifted from the death penalty to tougher but lawful punishments.
“When we sat down with the President, he was okay with us enhancing the number of drugs that attract life sentences,” he said.
The CS noted that the government is now considering expanding the list of narcotics and substances that would carry life imprisonment for traffickers.
He explained that some of these drugs were previously not included in the most severe penalty category, despite being highly destructive and widely consumed by young people.
“Some of the drugs that were not incorporated before are manufactured substances that are being consumed by young people and are destructive to their lives,” Murkomen said.