Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has once again trained his guns on Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, this time demanding that he steps down over what he calls persistent failure to handle the country's security challenges.
The vocal senator squarely blames CS Murkomen for failing to provide clear policy direction when it comes to dealing with hired goons who have been causing chaos in different parts of the country. Cherargei says this failure in leadership is what led to the ugly attack on the Linda Mwananchi team in Keumbu, Kisii County.
According to reports, the Linda Mwananchi convoy was making its way to Keroka for a political rally on Friday, July 3, when a group of youths armed with clubs and stones ambushed them at Keumbu Market along the Kisii-Keroka Road. The attackers pelted the vehicles with stones and damaged several cars.
In the chaos that followed, 36-year-old Vincent Osiemo, a father of three popularly known as Mapinduzi, fell from one of the vehicles and was hit repeatedly by stones. He was rushed to Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital but was pronounced dead. Several other supporters also sustained injuries during the attack.
Cherargei is now calling on the police and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to arrest all the goons behind this attack, and not just make selective arrests that leave the masterminds walking free.
He argues that the Interior Ministry has been sleeping on the job while hired goons terrorise innocent Kenyans, and that enough is enough. The senator's demand comes amid growing public frustration over rising incidents of political violence across the country.
Police have so far arrested several suspects in connection with the Keumbu attack. Nyaribari Chache MP Zaheer Jhanda has also been summoned by the DCI to record a statement over the incident.
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has ordered the Internal Affairs Unit to investigate the conduct of police officers during the drama, after witnesses claimed that police stood by and watched as the attack unfolded.
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation from leaders across the political divide. Opposition figures are now piling pressure on CS Murkomen, accusing him of failing to guarantee security during political activities.
Many Kenyans are now asking the tough question: if the government cannot protect its citizens from hired goons, then what is the point of having a Ministry of Interior in the first place?
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