Kipchumba Murkomen Says Police Don't Have to Be in Uniform to Arrest: "Just for Identification"
- Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen defended police officers who make arrests without wearing official uniforms, calling the attire a mere formality
- The CS dismissed public fears over unidentified armed men seen during recent protests, denying the existence of any state-sanctioned killer squad
- Investigations into the deadly June and July protests have led to arrests of suspected masterminds and financiers behind the chaos
TUKO.co.ke journalist Harry Ivan Mboto has over three years of experience reporting on politics and current affairs in Kenya
Uniform or not, the badge still bites—and Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen says the law doesn't sleep just because an officer is off duty.

Source: Twitter
Murkomen addressed growing public concerns over police officers arresting citizens without wearing official uniform.
Speaking during a press address on Tuesday, July 15, the Cabinet secretary said the police uniform is merely a formality used for identification purposes, and its unavailability should not deter officers from making arrests or enforcing the law.
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“The dress code of a police officer is not an excuse. In fact, an officer who is sleeping in his house and there is an emergency, and he needs to rescue a citizen, they do not need to wear a uniform. They just wake up and go and arrest, do what you need to do as a police officer. The uniform is only for identification,” he said.
“The same laws that apply to a police officer in uniform also apply to one who is not in uniform,” he added.
The CS further revealed that there are specific circumstances under which officers are not required to wear uniform, such as during covert operations where revealing their identity could compromise the mission.
“This allows them to gather evidence discreetly and respond faster in apprehending criminals,” he explained.
What Murkomen said about unmarked Subaru cars
Murkomen also addressed incidents witnessed during the June 25 protests and the Saba Saba protests on July 7, where some police squads were spotted patrolling in unmarked Subaru vehicles, holding rifles and wearing no uniform.
He dismissed claims that the group was a special killer squad, asserting that no such unit exists under the Kenya Kwanza administration.
“All cases of police excesses will be investigated equally, and there is no known police squad that is known for killing people. At least not in this administration, and not that the Cabinet secretary is aware of. It would be unconstitutional and illegal to form such a squad anywhere in Kenya to kill people,” he said.
Murkomen added that all the police squads and units currently in operation are intended to protect, not to kill, Kenyan citizens.

Source: Twitter
Were Saba Saba protesters arrested?
The Interior CS was speaking while updating the nation on the progress of investigations into the chaos witnessed during the two protests.
“In this chaos, 42 Kenyans regrettably lost their lives and close to 600 were injured. Out of these injuries, 496 were law enforcement officers. This is unacceptable. One life lost is one too many,” Murkomen said.

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He added that public facilities, including government offices, vehicles, law courts and a hospital, bore the brunt of the destruction. Several businesses were also looted, and some were set on fire.
The CS noted that intelligence-led operations across various counties have resulted in the arrest of individuals believed to be the masterminds, financiers, instigators and direct perpetrators of the criminal acts.
Did Murkomen allow police to use force?
In a related development, Murkomen clarified that no law in Kenya permits police officers to kill civilians, stressing that all enforcement actions must remain within legal bounds.
He appeared to distance himself from earlier controversial directive to police officers to shoot to kill people trying to invade police stations.
Murkomen assured the public that officers who misuse force would be held accountable, confirming that one officer had already been arrested and charged with murder.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke