Kenya’s Interior CS Murkomen Faces Backlash, Impeachment Threat After President-Backed Shoot-to-Kill Police Directive and Human Rights Lawsuits

Kenya's Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has faced widespread criticism and legal challenges following his directive allowing police officers to shoot to kill individuals attacking police stations or officers. The order, initially defended by Murkomen and supported by the President, sparked public uproar, with critics including the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), opposition leader Raila Odinga, church leaders, and various human rights groups condemning it as reckless, illegal, and likely to lead to extrajudicial killings. Murkomen later clarified and retracted the directive amid the backlash, but the controversy persisted. Members of Parliament have initiated impeachment motions against him, and petitions have been filed seeking to declare him unfit for office.

Human rights organizations such as Katiba Institute, Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), and the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) have filed lawsuits challenging the legality of the police standing orders and Murkomen's authority to issue such directives. The debate has intensified with police officers reportedly criticizing Murkomen’s orders, and various political figures, including Machakos Deputy Governor and MPs Mukunji Gitonga and John Kaguchia, publicly opposing the directive. The situation remains a focal point of national discourse on police conduct and governance in Kenya.