Tuesday, September
16, 2025 - Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has defended the
deployment of plainclothes officers in select operations, citing officer safety
as a top priority.
Speaking at a public engagement forum on Monday, September
15th, Murkomen emphasized that discretion is sometimes necessary,
especially during volatile assignments.
“We will not allow our police officers to put their lives in
danger by wearing a uniform when they shouldn’t,” Murkomen said.
He added that Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI)
officers routinely operate in plain clothes, and if masking is required for
protection, it should be permitted.
Murkomen also praised ongoing police efforts in the North
Rift, noting that intensified operations have led to the surrender of firearms
by suspected bandits.
“Schools have reopened, and economic activities have
resumed. Citizens are regaining confidence in law enforcement,” he stated.
Addressing broader security concerns, Murkomen called for a
whole-of-society approach to tackle emerging threats such as religious
radicalization.
Referring to the Shakahola tragedy, he warned against
extreme practices that endanger lives, stressing that security is not solely
the responsibility of police.
His remarks come amid legal scrutiny over the use of masked
plainclothes officers during protests.
In a ruling issued on August 14th, Justice Bahati
Mwamuye of the Milimani Law Courts barred officers from obscuring their faces
while handling demonstrators.
The court ordered that all officers must display visible
name tags and service numbers, and that vehicle identification must remain
unobstructed.
The conservatory order, issued pending a final ruling,
followed a petition challenging the constitutionality of masked deployments
during the anti-Finance Bill protests in August 2024.
Justice Mwamuye affirmed that the petitioner had met the
threshold for interim constitutional protection.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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