Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen is seeking to have his name removed as a respondent in a case filed by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and several human rights organizations over alleged abductions.
The petitioners, which include the Kenya Human Rights Commission and the International Commission of Jurists, have named Murkomen, alongside Police Inspector General (IG) Douglas Kanja, Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss Mohammed Amin, and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Renson Igonga, as respondents in a case involving six youths reportedly abducted in December.
Through his lawyers, Samson Nyaberi and Danstan Omari, Murkomen argues that his role as a Cabinet Secretary is strictly limited to providing policy direction to the IG and does not extend to operational control of the police force. “The job description of a Cabinet Secretary is clearly defined and does not include direct involvement in security operations, which is the IG’s mandate,” Omari stated.
The case involves the disappearance of six individuals—Ronny Kiplagat, Steve Mbisi, Billy Mwangi, Peter Muteti, Bernard Kavuli, and Kelvin Muthoni. As of Monday, only Steve Mbisi remained unaccounted for, with the other five reportedly released at different locations across the country.
The petitioners have requested the court to compel security and prosecution agencies to produce the missing individuals. Last week, Justice Alexander Muteti ordered IG Kanja to explain why he failed to present the abductees in court by December 31, 2024, as previously directed. Justice Muteti emphasized that Kanja still had an opportunity to produce the abductees to avoid potential legal consequences.
The hearing, set for January 8, 2025, will be presided over by Justice Bahati Mwamuye at the High Court in Nairobi. The court had earlier directed all parties to submit their evidence by January 7. Murkomen’s legal team has filed an application to have his name struck out from the list of respondents, insisting that issues of abductions and kidnappings fall under the IG’s jurisdiction.
This case is poised to test the boundaries of accountability and policy oversight within Kenya’s security apparatus.
