Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has directed the immediate arrest of politicians allegedly sponsoring criminal gangs across the country, with a particular focus on Kwale County.
Speaking during his second day of the Jukwaa La Usalama Coastal Region tour, Murkomen revealed that intelligence reports have linked several politicians to night meetings with youths, purportedly to help them, but which end up inciting criminal activity.“We have intensified security operations in Kwale and surrounding areas to apprehend those financing criminal activities,” said Murkomen, following a closed-door meeting with regional and county security teams. “If those meetings are progressive, they should be done in broad daylight.”
He noted that after these night gatherings, youth are mobilized to engage in attacks and other criminal activities. The CS singled out gangs such as the “Panga Boys,” whose members, he said, are mostly school-aged children.“Our approach to combat this menace will be multi-agency. Chiefs, their assistants, and all security agencies have firm instructions to deal with these criminal elements—no one will be spared,” Murkomen warned.
He further vowed to collaborate with the Judiciary to ensure that suspects do not evade justice. “When these people are arrested and then released by courts, they return thinking they are untouchable. We will ensure the cases are watertight,” he stated.
Murkomen also issued a stern warning to security officers suspected of collaborating with criminals, promising disciplinary action against them.
Accompanied by Immigration and Citizen Services PS Belio Kipsang, Murkomen outlined key focus areas for his Kwale tour. These include tackling school dropout rates, land disputes, border security, drug and substance abuse, illegal mining, human-wildlife conflict, and human trafficking.
He is expected to hold a Town Hall meeting at the Kwale Cultural Centre and visit the Matuga Mobile ID Registration Centre to engage with locals and assess the security situation on the ground.
