Murkomen vows crackdown on ex-security officers forming armed political groups

Former and serving security officers will face heightened surveillance if found engaging in politically motivated armed activities, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has warned, calling the trend a subversive threat to national stability.

The warning follows the arrest and arraignment of ex-KDF officer Patrick Osoi, who is accused of forming an armed movement to challenge police authority under the guise of fighting brutality.

Addressing the media after the 23rd Jukwaa la Usalama grassroots engagement in Laikipia County, Murkomen raised alarm over a rising trend where former disciplined service members are allegedly misusing their military training to incite fear and threaten public safety in the name of activism.

“There are some characters who I saw online calling themselves forces fighting police brutality, and yet they were carrying guns and training using jungle AKs, trying to intimidate the people of Kenya,” Murkomen said.

He warned that such individuals, including former police officers, former military personnel, and those still in service, would now be subject to strict state monitoring.

“I want to tell all police officers who are out of service, all military officers out of service, they have a greater responsibility than civilians, and we will put them under very big surveillance. Those are people who were highly trained by the government of Kenya on the use of arms. Once they start threatening the public and threatening the government, we consider that subversive activity,” he said.

Murkomen noted that the government had already begun taking action against such threats.

“I’m glad that this year we have investigated, arrested, and charged some of them. We know they are establishing a military wing of their political activities. We will not allow that,” he reiterated.

“Let me be very clear: those officers who are doing politics in office or exiting office to go and carry out criminal activities must be dealt with firmly.”

His remarks follow the arrest of Patrick Osoi, a former Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officer who was arraigned on Wednesday at the Kahawa Law Courts. Osoi is accused of forming a group known as Fighting Brutality and Impunity (FBI) with two other officers, Jackson Kuria Kimani alias Cop Shakur and Kimathi Hiram, with the alleged aim of recruiting other current and former officers to resist ‘illegal orders.’

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) stated in court documents that Osoi’s recent post on platform X announcing the formation of the movement had gone viral, amassing over 260,000 views, 3,900 likes, 900 retweets and 400 comments. The DCI expressed concern that the post could incite unlawful mobilisations, including from hostile actors.

“That this viral spread increases the risk of rapid escalation, of unrest, public disorder and coordination of violent acts while investigations are ongoing,” read the DCI’s notice of motion.

In his posts, Osoi not only criticised the police but also expressed interest in contesting the presidency in the 2027 General Election under the movement. He also claimed to be a former National Intelligence Service (NIS) officer and a United States Army veteran.

Following his arrest, investigators said Osoi led them to several empty residences believed to be AirBnBs within Nairobi, but allegedly declined to reveal his actual place of residence, which the DCI suspects may hold key evidence.

Osoi is expected to face multiple charges, including preparing to commit a felony, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition and engaging in terrorism-related recruitment and facilitation.

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• Murkomen vows crackdown on ex-security officers forming armed political groups
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“The offence under investigation is serious in nature and carries a severe penalty upon conviction. That the custodial orders sought are not meant to punish the respondent (Osoi) but allow investigators adequate time to thoroughly complete the investigations,” court documents read.