Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has asked security agencies to investigate allegations of violence and disorder during the Ol Kalou by-election, vowing that anyone found responsible will face the full force of the law.
Speaking in Trans Nzoia County after addressing the County Assembly and presiding over the opening of the Wellness and Committee Services Centre, Murkomen asserted that the Inspector General of Police had deployed adequate security personnel to safeguard the by-election.
“I want to assure Kenyans that the Inspector General of Police deployed enough officers to provide security in Ol Kalou,” he stated.
The CS emphasised that claims of individuals causing chaos during the exercise must be thoroughly investigated.
“Allegations of some persons causing havoc in Ol Kalou must be investigated thoroughly, and anyone culpable must be arrested, regardless of what they were doing and who deployed them,” Murkomen declared.
He added that police officers accused of misconduct would not be shielded from accountability.
“Whether they were deployed by the Inspector General and they went and misbehaved, they must be dealt with, and dealt with definitively,” he said.
Murkomen reiterated that the government would not tolerate political violence anywhere in the country, stressing that perpetrators must be prosecuted regardless of where the incidents occur.
“I assure Kenyans that we are not condoning violence. Whether it was Ol Kalou, Baringo, Narok, or during next year’s elections, perpetrators must be brought to book immediately,” he affirmed.
The Cabinet Secretary’s remarks come amid concerns over reported violence during the Ol Kalou by-election, with calls for investigations into the conduct of both civilians and some security officers during the poll.
