Interior CS: Don’t blame all police for mistakes of a few

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has urged Kenyans not to judge the entire police service based on the misconduct of a few officers, while reaffirming the government’s commitment to holding rogue elements accountable.

Speaking amid heightened public concern over recent incidents of police brutality, Murkomen stressed that the overwhelming majority of the country’s 20,000 police officers serve the public diligently under often challenging circumstances.

“There has been a great debate in the country following the incidences in the recent past of a few police officers who have erred in their work and brutalized citizens,” he said. “A few people, even if it is 50 or 100, cannot be used to say all our police officers are violating human rights,”

The CS stressed that while the government will ensure justice is served in cases of abuse, it will also protect and support officers who operate within the law.

“We will make sure that we walk the tight rope to make sure that a few individuals, within the National Police Service, who are going to violate the law are brought to justice but also protect all the other police officers who are doing a good job,” he said

Murkomen further appealed to the public to respect law enforcement, citing incidents where officers have shown restraint even when faced with threats from armed civilians.

I request the citizens to respect the authority of the police. Without respect for the police, there is anarchy. In Nakuru town, where we are dealing with a very serious small gang, we saw a citizen is carrying a panga to attack a police officer who was trying to restore order. I thank police officers who have retrained themselves in such circumstances,” he remarked.

He reiterated that many officers make significant sacrifices in challenging conditions to keep the country safe and deserve both institutional and public support.

“I have visited different parts of the country where our police officers work. Some of them are working under difficult circumstances, sacrificing for this nation and they want to see that citizens also give them maximum support,” he remarked