Nairobi — Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has confirmed the arrest of 20 people following weekend violence in Kisumu and Nyahururu, and ordered a nationwide intelligence-led operation to dismantle organized criminal gangs and arrest their financiers.
In a statement circulated on Monday, Murkomen directed the Inspector General of Police to pursue armed gangs, their accomplices and sponsors, saying the government would not tolerate political violence, goonism and ethnic incitement.
"We are firmly committed to safeguarding our nation and protecting every Kenyan from goonism, political violence, ethnic mobilisation and incitement, just as we have dealt with banditry, terrorism, organised criminal gangs and other security threats," Murkomen said.
He said the National Police Service had already arrested 20 suspects in connection with the weekend violence, which claimed lives and left property destroyed, adding that investigations are ongoing.
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Murkomen also appealed to the Judiciary to support ongoing security operations by ensuring those charged are held accountable.
"I urge the Judiciary to ensure those arraigned face the full force of the law so that criminal gangs and their sponsors do not continue to operate with impunity," he said.
The Interior CS warned politicians against mobilising, financing or shielding criminal gangs and urged leaders to refrain from inflammatory statements that could fuel violence.
His directive comes as security agencies in Kisumu continue a parallel crackdown following Sunday's deadly violence outside St. Stephen's ACK Cathedral in Milimani, where authorities have detained 200 youths for screening and are preparing to arraign eight key suspects linked to the killings.
Speaking earlier, Kisumu Governor Anyang' Nyong'o described the incident as organized criminal violence.
"Two organized criminal youth engaged in a violent confrontation somewhere around the city. Two young men lost their lives as a result of that. Families have been plunged into mourning, and the city has once again been reminded that criminal violence carries consequences not only for its direct victims but for society as a whole," he said.
Ahead of the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, Murkomen assured residents that adequate security measures had been deployed to guarantee a peaceful poll and enable the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to conduct the election without disruption.
Separately, the Cabinet Secretary attended the burial of prison warden David Kipchirchir Kibiwott in Lokori, Turkana County, where he conveyed the government's condolences to the officer's family, friends and colleagues.
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