Murkomen Rejects Claims Police Officers Sexually Assaulted Women in Ol Kalou
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has rejected former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s claim that dozens of women were sexually assaulted by police officers during the Ol Kalou by-election.
Speaking in Bomet County on Saturday, Mr Murkomen challenged Mr Gachagua to present the alleged victims to investigators, saying any credible complaints would be thoroughly examined. Mr Murkomen described the allegations as politically motivated and said the government would not tolerate gender-based violence.
He urged Mr Gachagua to report the claims through the appropriate legal channels instead of raising them in political speeches. “If you are a father and a husband, you should not play politics with women by making such claims,” he said, adding that the police were ready to investigate any formal complaints.
He also accused the Democracy for the Citizens (DCP) leader of using the issue for political advantage despite his party winning the Ol Kalou seat. Mr Gachagua said on Friday that 68 women were sexually assaulted by security officers during unrest linked to the by-election.
He also alleged that President William Ruto, Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja and Mr Murkomen were responsible for the violence. His claims came alongside reports that hooded men, some said to be police officers, intimidated residents, attacked journalists and fired live rounds near polling stations.
The Interior Ministry has denied the allegations and said security officers acted lawfully. Mr Murkomen said the incidents reported in Ol Kalou did not reflect the overall state of security in the country.
He said more than 1,000 police officers had been deployed to the constituency and that they had done “a fairly good job” of maintaining order. He also referred to the arrest of 3,000 suspected criminal gang members last year as evidence of the government’s efforts to improve public safety.
“We have dealt with general insecurity and banditry in the country. Incidents involving the murder of children and women have also been addressed,” he said.
The Cabinet Secretary said the election, which was won by Sammy Waweru Ngotho, showed that Kenya’s democratic institutions remained effective and that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission had conducted a credible poll. He urged political leaders not to present the contest in tribal terms, saying the newly elected MP would represent all residents.
“This was not a national crisis, and we should not use it to propagate tribalism and hatred,” he said.
Mr Gachagua has repeatedly accused the government of weakening democratic institutions and failing to guarantee public security, while government officials have dismissed his allegations as attempts to undermine public confidence in state agencies. The Interior Ministry maintains that the country’s security agencies are capable of protecting elections, while opposition leaders argue that state institutions have been involved in intimidation and violence.
