Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen appeared before the National Assembly on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, to respond to questions on national security and government service delivery. In his submissions, he addressed claims of rising abductions, the fight against illicit alcohol, and preparations for the 2027 General Election, while unveiling elements of a police security roadmap.
Abductions: Claims of Increase Dismissed
Murkomen stated that claims of increased abductions since 2024 are false. He said statistics show a reduction in such cases since the current administration took office in 2022. He contrasted this with the previous government, noting the absence of incidents such as bodies floating in River Yala, crocodiles consuming people in River Tana, or wild animals preying on people in the Aberdares.
“Claims of increased abductions since 2024 are false. To the contrary, the statistics show that since we took office in 2022, there have never been bodies floating in River Yala as it was before,” he said. He added that the government’s campaign position was clear: it would end extrajudicial killings and abductions.
The CS said all recent reported cases are under investigation and that those found culpable will be arrested. He also maintained that some incidents are staged or “self-abductions” intended to gain political sympathy, attention, or advance hidden agendas, including cases of individuals faking illnesses. He cited the arrest of Manyatta MP Gitonga Mukunji over allegations of theft and incitement, arguing that such matters should not be misrepresented as abductions.
These assertions come against a backdrop of ongoing public and institutional concern. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has documented cases of enforced disappearances, including a report presented to President William Ruto in June 2026 that recorded 46 new cases, many involving protesters allegedly held incommunicado and tortured. The Commission has pressed the State to establish the whereabouts of missing persons and account for measures taken to locate them. Reports of specific incidents, including the abduction of a Nairobi lawyer captured on CCTV, have continued to draw attention from rights groups and the public.
Crackdown on Illicit Alcohol
Murkomen warned that alcohol manufacturing factories found operating outside the law risk closure and withdrawal of their licences. He described illicit alcohol, drugs, and substance abuse as a serious threat to public health, community safety, and the future of young people.
He said the government has intensified multi-agency operations over the past year, coordinated through County Commissioners and involving County Security and Intelligence Committees. These efforts have led to the seizure of large quantities of adulterated alcohol, illegal ethanol, and other harmful substances, as well as arrests and the shutdown of non-compliant businesses. A fresh nationwide re-inspection of manufacturing premises is underway to verify compliance with legal and regulatory standards. Factories and individuals found violating the law will face enforcement action, including closure, licence withdrawal, and accountability for those responsible.
The CS framed the alcohol crackdown as part of broader security measures that also support preparations for the 2027 elections.
2027 Election Security and Goonism
Murkomen said security operations have been strengthened ahead of the election season. He noted that the government is prioritising the receipt of advance schedules of political events from both government and opposition leaders so that police can make adequate arrangements. Those suspected of orchestrating violence, he added, will face the full force of the law.
He announced a 16-month security roadmap developed by the National Police Service to guide preparations for the 2027 General Election. The plan, running from September 2026 to December 2027, is aimed at ensuring peaceful, secure, and inclusive elections. Murkomen has previously stated that the era of goons is ending, linking this to the upcoming deployment of graduating officers from police training colleges and intensified operations against criminal gangs and their financiers.
Earlier in the year, while appearing before the Senate, he had reported that 1,189 people had been sentenced for offences linked to political violence and goonism since 2022, presenting the figure as evidence that security agencies and courts were acting.
Murkomen’s November 4 appearance occurred against a backdrop of continued reports of political violence and goon-related incidents in various parts of the country, as well as legal and civil society scrutiny of the government’s handling of these issues. Human rights organisations have previously petitioned courts over alleged failures to curb organised political violence, citing specific attacks on civil society, journalists, and political gatherings.
The CS’s statements reaffirm the government’s public position on security reforms, enforcement against illicit substances, and electoral preparedness, while his denial of a rise in abductions sits alongside persistent reports from independent bodies and media documenting ongoing cases of disappearances and related concerns.