Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has launched a sweeping multi-agency crackdown targeting gang leaders, political goons, land fraud cartels, and illicit alcohol networks across the Western region.
Speaking in Kakamega during the Jukwaa la Usalama forum on Friday, Murkomen said the operation will involve county security teams working in coordination with officers from the national headquarters to dismantle criminal networks without fear, favour, or political bias.
“We are spending a lot of resources and personnel in dealing with political goonism in Western Kenya when we have other regions and parts of Kenya that need security, and therefore we are going to deal with the paymasters of the goons, and it is going to be painful,” said Murkomen.
The CS said the government is alarmed by the rise of political violence in Western Kenya, where funerals and political rallies have increasingly been turned into battlefields.
“We will not allow political leaders to use goons and criminal leaders to use young people to cause violence and instability in our country because some cases have left families mourning, while others find it difficult to give their beloved one a good sendoff,” said Murkomen.
He cited the recent chaotic burial of a chief in Matungu, Kakamega County, where goons disrupted the ceremony, clashed violently, and left mourners in fear.
Murkomen said such incidents are evidence that criminal gangs are being embedded in community events for political gain, and he warned leaders who sponsor or ferry these groups that they will be prosecuted.
“We will deal with everyone, even those ferrying the goons, whether to rallies or to funerals. Unfortunately, police are now being forced to provide security at burials, while elsewhere people bury their loved ones peacefully without needing officers on the ground,” Murkomen said.
He emphasised that the crackdown will remain politically neutral.
“A multi-agency operation is underway to combat the persistent problem of political goons. The county security teams, supported by officers from the head office, are pursuing gang leaders without any regard to political leaning. Our mission is to dismantle these networks once and for all.”
Beyond political hooliganism, Murkomen said the operation will also focus on land fraud cartels, perpetrators of sexual violence, and illicit alcohol distributors.
He issued a stern warning to corrupt Lands officers found colluding with fraudsters to grab property.
“Any Lands officers found to be abetting fraud will not be spared. We will dismantle these cartels that have turned land ownership into a nightmare for innocent wananchi,” he said.
On sexual offences, Murkomen directed chiefs and assistant chiefs to prioritise justice for victims of defilement, warning against out-of-court settlements that shield offenders from accountability.
“Perpetrators of defilement must be put through the justice system. These cases are criminal, not civil, and should never be settled out of court because for the last eight months we have had 100 cases of defilement in the Western region,” he said.
The CS also put illicit brew traders on notice, singling out ethanol distributors who supply chang’aa brewers in Western.
“We are zeroing in on distributors of ethanol, and they will soon be arrested to answer for their offences,” Murkomen warned.
He revealed that Kakamega County currently leads the country in chang’aa production and consumption, a statistic he described as alarming and destructive to families and communities.
Although the operation has received significant focus in Bungoma, Murkomen clarified that the security sweep extends to the entire Western region.
Busia County, long plagued by smuggling along the Kenya–Uganda border, is a key target of the expanded operation.
He said cross-border cartels had infiltrated trade and transport, threatening local economies and undermining security, but assured residents that the state was implementing new measures to seal porous routes and dismantle smuggling rings.
“Our focus is not just on Bungoma. We are addressing criminal threats across Kakamega, Busia, Vihiga, Trans Nzoia and beyond, because insecurity in one county spills over into the rest of the region,” Murkomen said.
While promising tough action against crime, Murkomen also urged police officers to uphold honesty, diligence, and patriotism.
He stressed that the government is committed to reforms within the police service to ensure community-focused policing.
“Our officers must be models of integrity. We are not only cracking down on criminals but also reforming the way policing is done, so that wananchi feel protected, respected, and included in matters of security,” he said.
“Our message is clear: we will not allow gangs, fraudsters, or political goons to destabilise our counties. Security agencies are fully empowered to act decisively, and we shall restore order and safety for all,” the CS affirmed.
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Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has launched a sweeping multi-agency crackdown targeting gang leaders, political goons, land fraud cartels, and
illicit alcohol networks
across the Western region.
Speaking in Kakamega during the Jukwaa la Usalama forum on Friday, Murkomen said the operation will involve county security teams working in coordination with officers from the national headquarters to dismantle criminal networks without fear, favour, or political bias.
“We are spending a lot of resources and personnel in dealing with political goonism in Western Kenya when we have other regions and parts of Kenya that need security, and therefore we are going to deal with the paymasters of the goons, and it is going to be painful,” said Murkomen.
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on WhatsApp
By Benard Lusigi and Mary Imenza