Civil society alliance sues Murkomen over ‘shoot to kill’ directive » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 2 – Civil society organizations, including the Katiba Institute, Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), and the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU), have filed a petition in court against Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen over remarks perceived as inciting police brutality.

In a joint statement issued Wednesday, the human rights watchdogs condemned Murkomen’s comments made on June 26 and 27, in which he issued “shoot to kill” instructions to security personnel targeting anyone who approaches a police station or threatens a police officer’s life.

The petitioners argue that the CS’s statements amount to incitement to violence and unlawful acts and fall well below the ethical standards expected of a public officer under the Constitution of Kenya.

They are seeking an immediate and equally publicized retraction of the remarks and are asking the court to declare Murkomen unfit to hold public office.

“The CS’s comments constitute incitement under Article 33 of the Constitution and unethical conduct under Article 10 and Chapter Six, as he encourages the unlawful use of force in his initial comments and knew — or should have known — that he was citing outdated and unconstitutional legal provisions when trying to justify his remarks,” the statement reads in part.

The civil society groups argue that Murkomen’s statements directly contradict constitutional values and violate Articles 10, 33, and Chapter Six of the Constitution.

They contend that the CS knowingly misrepresented obsolete legal provisions in an attempt to justify unlawful directives.

Murkomen made the controversial remarks during the protests commemorating the one-year anniversary of the June 25 Gen-Z demonstrations, where he instructed police to use firearms on anyone approaching police stations — a statement he has since walked back.

His sentiments have continued to elicit mixed reactions amid a surge in reports of police excesses, including fatal incidents.

The most recent involved a slim mask vendor, Boniface Mwangi, who was allegedly shot in the head by police and later succumbed to his injuries at Kenyatta National Hospital on Monday.