Murkomen Authorizes Lethal Force Against Police Station Attackers Amid Rising Lawlessness
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has issued a bold and controversial directive authorizing police officers to use lethal force against individuals who attack police stations or pose a direct threat to officers’ lives.
This statement, delivered on Thursday during a security briefing, comes in response to what the CS describes as an alarming surge in attacks against law enforcement personnel and installations across the country.
“We have directed the police that anyone who dares approach a police station with criminal intent should be shot,” Murkomen stated in Swahili during his address. He underscored growing frustration within security agencies over lenient judicial systems that allegedly allow repeat offenders to return to the streets with ease, only to mount fresh attacks against police officers.
The directive arrives in the wake of violent protests held on June 25, during which the Interior Ministry reported that over 300 officers were injured and multiple police stations vandalized, looted, or burned. In one particularly disturbing incident, a police station in Ndunyu, Nyandarua County, was torched after an officer allegedly shot a villager, sparking public outrage.
While Murkomen clarified that the shoot-to-kill directive does not apply to civilians seeking assistance, shelter, or reporting cases at police stations, the remark ignited widespread public concern. Critics quickly raised questions about the clarity of the order, warning that such statements may result in unintended casualties and abuse of power by rogue officers.
Human rights groups and legal experts have urged the government to tread carefully, warning that such a policy, if poorly implemented, risks undermining the constitutional right to life and could lead to extrajudicial killings.
They are calling for clear operational guidelines, judicial oversight, and accountability mechanisms to ensure the directive is not misused.
Nonetheless, Murkomen insists that the safety of law enforcement officers must be prioritized, arguing that the state cannot allow police to remain soft targets in an increasingly volatile environment.
As tension mounts, the country watches closely to see how this directive will be implemented, and whether it will escalate or de-escalate the growing unrest.
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