Aasai

ODM leader Raila Odinga has come out strongly against Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, criticizing his alleged endorsement of lethal force during the recent Gen Z-led protests across the country.

Speaking on Sunday at ACK St. Peter’s Parish in Bondo, Siaya County, the former Prime Minister condemned the bloodshed witnessed during the June 25 protests in Nairobi, warning that no government official should justify the use of unconstitutional violence against demonstrators. Raila acknowledged that acts of looting and destruction must be punished, but stressed that the use of deadly force by police is unjustifiable and unlawful.

“We have witnessed a lot of bloodshed recently. Children who went out to demonstrate, some of them died – some of them shot by the police,” Raila lamented during his address. “The police should never ever shoot to kill. Police have no licence to kill human beings.”

Odinga insisted that law enforcement officers should act within legal confines and arrest suspects instead of using excessive force. “If somebody has committed a crime, arrest that person and take them before a court of law,” he added.

His criticism came in response to remarks attributed to CS Murkomen, which appeared to support police officers using force — including possibly fatal measures — to protect key government installations during the protests. Murkomen allegedly suggested that police were within their rights to shoot those threatening public infrastructure like police stations.

Raila fired back with harsh words: “So anybody giving instructions to a police officer that if anybody comes close to a police station, shoot them, its a shame. Shame on you. We should not encourage the taking away of life in a way which is not constitutional.”

The opposition leader’s comments follow a disturbing report released by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), which revealed that at least 19 people were killed during the recent anti-government protests. An additional 531 were injured, and 15 others have reportedly gone missing under mysterious circumstances.

In response to the growing criticism, Murkomen has since distanced himself from the ‘shoot-to-kill’ interpretation of his statements. Speaking on Saturday during a security briefing chaired by President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi, Murkomen clarified that he had no authority to issue directives to the police and was merely interpreting the law based on his legal expertise.

“I am saying this with all humility. I cannot order an Inspector General of Police on anything because the Constitution does not allow me to do so,” he explained. “What I did was to state the law. You will not find me anywhere saying somebody should be shot to be killed.”

Despite this clarification, Raila maintained that government institutions must be held to account for the brutal crackdown that marred the protests. He extended condolences to the grieving families while reiterating that violence, regardless of its form, has no place in a democratic society.

“We condole with those people who have lost their loved ones, but at the same time, we condemn the criminals who deliberately went to destroy people’s properties,” Raila concluded.