Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has warned that criminal gangs are rapidly emerging as one of Kenya’s biggest national security threats, saying their growth is being fuelled by politics, rogue business networks and corruption within state institutions.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV on Tuesday, Murkomen said the country is dealing with both long-established and fast-evolving gang formations whose operations are increasingly emboldened by political actors and compromised officials, adding that the state will not protect anyone found to be linked to criminal operations.
“We have a lot of gangs in the country. Some are goons who have not graduated to the level of gangs, but there are more resilient gangs like Gaza, which have been around for more than 15 years, Mungiki, MRC, and some called 42 brothers… These ones have been more than 10 years,” he said.
The CS said the groups survive by being contracted for illegal activities, particularly violent land takeovers.
“They are contracted first by unscrupulous business people to take people’s land. You must have seen it many times in Nairobi—some goons coming and taking over somebody’s property,” he said, adding that such incidents remain rampant in Machakos, Kajiado, coastal towns, Kitale and the Rift Valley.
Murkomen said politics has become one of the biggest drivers of gang activity, particularly in parts of western Kenya where politicians allegedly hire groups for mobilisation and security.
“Politicians have formalised the gangs for hiring. If you have to go for a public function, everybody is going with his own group… from Friday to Sunday their economy rises and they survive on it,” he said.
He warned that dismantling the networks will not be easy because some of the financiers hold significant power within county and national structures.
“Sometimes the people who sustain these gangs are holding a lot of resources, and sometimes even compromise security officers. Some also hold very influential positions—members of parliament, governors,” he noted.
Murkomen said the government is preparing intelligence-led operations targeting gang leaders and financiers. “The IG is sitting down to formulate the strategy on how to dismantle these gangs, and it will start by targeting the leaders and those who are financing and supporting them,” he said.
The CS also conceded that some police officers have been compromised, citing recent instances where armed individuals interacted freely with uniformed officers.
“We cannot lie, there’s a problem also among police officers or even government officers or politicians,” he said, adding that action is being taken against implicated officers.
He acknowledged that police are sometimes overwhelmed by large, armed groups, especially during protests and recent by-elections.
“Yes, there are instances definitely that police officers are helpless… If I attempt to arrest, I’m going to be attacked. I’m also a human being,” he quoted officers as saying.
Murkomen urged the public to cooperate with security agencies, warning that criminal gangs pose a long-term threat that cuts across political lines and could ultimately endanger both state officers and ordinary citizens if left unchecked.
