“It Was an Attempted Coup”: CS Murkomen Speaks on June 25 Protests

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has claimed that the protests held on Wednesday, June 25, were not just demonstrations but part of a coordinated attempt to overthrow the government.

Speaking during a press briefing, Murkomen alleged that the organisers of the protests were intent on toppling the regime through unlawful means, describing the events as a “well-orchestrated plan” to instigate chaos and seize power.

> “This has nothing to do with protests, but an unconstitutional attempt to change the regime. The police were able to foil an attempted coup,” he stated.

Murkomen further alleged that security agencies had recovered footage of vehicles transporting large sums of cash to protest sites, which he claimed were intended to facilitate the unrest. He said the plan involved targeting and looting businesses and homes belonging to leaders aligned with the government.

> “When you threaten an officer, you want to kill them. When you burn a police station, you want us to celebrate you and bring you a birthday cake? We must be serious as a country,” he remarked.

The CS defended police conduct during the protests, stating that officers acted with restraint despite facing direct attacks. He asserted that no excessive force was used and that officers were, in fact, victims of provocation and violence.

> “Our security agencies exercised remarkable restraint amid provocation. I want to say to the brave officers injured while protecting property against rioters and hired thugs — we feel your pain and sacrifice that embody patriotism.”

Murkomen criticized religious leaders and diplomats for allegedly remaining silent on the violence against police officers.

> “No church member will speak about how the police were attacked and suffered immense pain. I also know no diplomat will defend our police because it’s not in their interest for Kenya to be safe. They prefer anarchy and chaos at the expense of peace.”

The Interior CS also issued a strong warning to those he described as the “organisers and financiers” of the protests, vowing that the government would pursue them relentlessly.

> “Make no mistake, we will come for you.”

He also promised support for officers facing backlash over alleged police brutality, maintaining that their actions were justified in the face of a national security threat.

> “There’s no officer who committed any excesses; they foiled a coup. They don’t carry guns as toys.”

Murkomen claimed that the intent of protest organisers was to intimidate security officers in the weeks leading up to the demonstrations, in order to create a clear path for lawlessness.

> “It’s clear the coup plotters are not sleeping. When they were going around campaigning against policemen for the last three weeks, they wanted to scare officers so they could have free passage to commit the crimes that we saw yesterday. If it were not for the police officers, we would not have a country today.”

According to Murkomen, significant destruction occurred during the protests, with five police stations, 88 police vehicles, 27 county government vehicles, and 65 private cars reportedly set ablaze. He added that businesses suffered billions of shillings in losses due to looting and property damage.

Article By Suzy Nyongesa