- The new Internal Security Minister Kipchumba Murkomen sent his condolences to the families who may have lost loved ones during the kidnapping
- Murkomen, through his lawyers Danstan Omari and Sam Nyaberi, denied involvement in the recent spate of kidnappings in the country
- The minister was mentioned in a case where Okiya Omtatah and the Kenyan Bar Association went to court, seeking to compel government agencies to release the allegedly kidnapped youths
Minister of Internal Security Dating Murkomen he has distanced himself from the kidnapping of government critics and requested that his name be removed from two cases filed in court against the government.
Did Kipchumba Murkomen Approve Kidnapping?
Through the lawyers Danstan Omari and Sam Nyaberi, Murkomen said that he did not authorize the abduction and has no information about the missing persons.
“The minister has no legal or constitutional authority to authorize kidnapping. We have made it clear that the responsibility to protect safety, property and life is under the Inspector General of Police. The minister is only concerned with policy. He has never authorized or permitted kidnapping or any other illegal actions. Whoever is found guilty will be dealt with strictly according to the law,” said Omari and Nyaberi.
Two cases filed in the High Court are scheduled to be heard.
Judge Luck Mwamuye will call the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, Murkomen, and the Director of the Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Amin Mohamed.
Murkomen, through his lawyers, expressed his concern about the abduction, stressing the importance of transparency and resolution in the ongoing investigation.
“However, as a Minister and citizen, he feels worried, that's why he condemns such actions. He deals only with policy issues. You have seen that he has not appeared with the Attorney General as his lawyer, but has hired private lawyers to represent him in the cases before Judge Mwamuye,” Omar explained.
Murkomen also expressed his condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones after the capture, saying that as a parent, he understands their pain.
“As his defense team and with instructions from the Minister, he offers his condolences to any parent who lost their son due to kidnapping. As a parent and father, he understands the pain of losing a child. He condemns any kind of extra-legal actions carried out by any government agencies involved in the kidnappings that hit the country in the last three months,” they said.
Murkomen, along with the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General, were named as appellants in a case where Okiya Omtatah and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) went to court to demand that government agencies hand over seven youths allegedly abducted by security forces.
The two lawyers revealed that they were instructed to represent Murkomen in the case, which will continue on Wednesday, January 8.
The judge reiterated his previous orders, asking the Inspector General, DCI and the Minister of Transport to appear in court personally.
“After listening to all parties, I issue an order that IG Mr. Kanja, DCI Amin Mohamed and Minister Murkomen should appear in court on January 8, 2025, to explain the whereabouts of the six kidnapped youths,” Judge Mwamuye ordered.
They were ordered to release Kenyans who have not yet been released after being kidnapped in 2024.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke