Murkomen declares war on Mombasa politicians funding criminal gangs
Murkomen said the government is determined to eliminate those who support drugs, gangs, and other forms of criminal activity, calling for collaboration from all stakeholders, including the county leadership.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has issued a stern warning to politicians allegedly funding and facilitating criminal gangs in Mombasa County, vowing to have them arrested before the criminals themselves.
Speaking during a closed-door meeting with political leaders in Mombasa on Monday, Murkomen expressed frustration over the growing influence of gangs in the coastal city, stating that some aspirants and elected officials were actively supporting the criminals.
More To Read
“Those who are entertaining gangs, both those who are in office and, as we have now heard, most of them are aspirants— I want to tell you this: we will not stop at anything. We will take all necessary steps to ensure that everyone who is supporting, financing, bailing out, or assisting gangs in their crimes is arrested before we arrest them, stated Murkomen.
He issued a direct order to the regional police commander and the regional county commissioner to crack down on the enablers of gang activities, stressing that no political connection would shield any individual.
“This is not a story. Regional Police Commander and Regional County Commissioner arrest these people. I will not support any leader, including my closest friends, if they are supporting gangs and insecurity in this region. That is an order we have given, and you have my cover. No one will remove you from your jobs, and no one should intimidate you about where they’ll take you,” he asserted.
Murkomen said the government is determined to eliminate those who support drugs, gangs, and other forms of criminal activity, calling for collaboration from all stakeholders, including the county leadership.
“We want to make sure that everybody who is supporting criminal activities, drugs, and gangs—we will get rid of those people among us,” he stated.
The CS also urged Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) to exercise their oversight authority to ensure that county governments do not facilitate crime through the lax licensing of entertainment joints.
“I am glad our MCAs are here, and I want to thank you for working with us. Make sure that your executive, because you guys are the oversight authority, ensures county governments are not licensing bars and other drinking dens irresponsibly,” he said.
He noted that unlicensed joints pose a challenge to law enforcement officers, as business owners often use county-issued permits to obstruct police interventions.
“The problem is when you as county governments give them licences; when a police officer gets there and is shown the licence, he will walk away,” Murkomen noted.
Addressing concerns over police deployment, the CS announced plans to recruit 10,000 new officers countrywide in the next two to three months, a move aimed at improving coverage and implementing a strict officer rotation policy.
“I have said that police officers should not work in the same location for too long; that is the government’s policy, and because we currently have a shortage of officers, we have a plan to announce, in the next two to three months, a recruitment of 10,000 police officers across the country,” he said.
He emphasised the importance of redeploying officers regularly to avoid complacency and corruption.
“We want every officer to work in every part of the country. It should not be that someone feels punished when they are transferred from Mombasa to Mandera. Mandera is still part of Kenya,” Murkomen stated.
“If someone is doing an excellent job, that’s the person we want to go where the work is tougher. When they succeed at the next station, we transfer them again. When they reach the third station and still perform well, we promote them.”
The Interior CS concluded by calling on regional leaders to identify and reward officers demonstrating exemplary service.
“Regional Commissioner and Regional Commander, before I leave this region, give me the names of those doing a good job so I can take the names with me and promote them,” Murkomen declared.
The warning comes amid rising concerns over youth gangs and rising insecurity in parts of Mombasa County.
Top Stories Today
