Isiolo leaders have publicly criticized Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen over escalating insecurity, accusing him of failing to address bandit attacks that have killed five people, including police officers, in recent weeks. The leaders, including Governor Abdi Guyo and Woman Representative Mumina Bonaya, contrasted Murkomen’s performance with his predecessor, Kithure Kindiki, who they claim was more responsive to security crises.
Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo and local leaders launched a blistering critique of Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, accusing him of neglecting security in the region and failing to protect residents from bandit attacks. The remarks, made during a fundraiser in Modogashe, came days after armed men ambushed a police van, killing five people, including two officers, and sparking widespread outrage. Guyo and other officials warned that Murkomen’s inaction risks undermining President William Ruto’s administration, despite their public support for the president.
Leaders Demand Accountability as Banditry Claims Lives
I want to ask Interior CS Murkomen to do his work.
It seems this work is too heavy for him,
Guyo said during a fundraiser in Modogashe on Saturday. When Kindiki was in charge of Interior, when something like this happened, you saw him on the ground.
That way, he gave people confidence the government cared for them,
Guyo added, referencing his predecessor, Kithure Kindiki, who is now Deputy President.
Mumina Bonaya, the Woman Representative for Isiolo, echoed these frustrations, stating that leaders had consistently raised security concerns with the national government. Insecurity in Isiolo has worsened not because we leaders are unable to work. In Parliament, in government offices, we have continued to pass the information to the CS for Interior, Murkomen,
she said. Bonaya accused Murkomen of being inaccessible, contrasting his approach with Kindiki, who she claimed used to listen to us.
The leaders’ criticism follows a series of attacks that have left the region in turmoil. On Wednesday, bandits ambushed a police van, killing five people, including two officers. Governor Guyo also targeted Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo, chair of the Senate National Security Committee, accusing her of prioritizing personal political grievances
over the county’s security needs.
President Ruto’s Tough Talk vs. Local Frustrations
President William Ruto has repeatedly vowed to crush banditry, declaring in a statement that every bandit must be brought to book, every illegal gun surrendered willingly or by force.
His administration has launched Operation Maliza Uhalifu, a multi-agency effort to recover illegal weapons and restore security.
The government that we support and sing Tutam [two terms] about is unable to protect our citizens. Every day, citizens are killed as if this is not Kenya,
Bonaya said. She warned that continued insecurity could erode political goodwill, stating, We love this government, but if insecurity worsens, we will say Tutam songs be stopped in this county until we get proper security.
Isiolo leaders from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) have threatened to withdraw their support for President William Ruto in 2027 over prolonged banditry in the region.
A Rift Between Leadership and the National Government
The tension highlights a growing rift between local leaders and the national government. Murkomen is failing the President.
Murkomen has been given a job by the President of Kenya.
If he fails, we cannot blame the President,
Guyo said. He urged the president to intervene, stating, The President has done a lot of things and we cannot criticise him because of the laziness of one minister.
Isiolo Woman Representative Mumina Boyana said the leaders had repeatedly raised the matter with CS Murkomen, insisting the worsening security was not a result of their failure. She warned that if the government could not guarantee their safety, residents would organize themselves and confront the attackers, adding that families were tired of burying loved ones.
The conflict has also drawn attention to the role of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), which have opened access roads in Laikipia and Baringo for patrols.
As the crisis escalates, the pressure on Murkomen intensifies. The leaders have called for his immediate accountability, with Guyo urging the Senate to summon him for questioning. We want you to go to the Senate, summon Murkomen and ask him why he is unable to do his work,
he said, directing the remarks at Senator Dullo.