Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo during a fundraiser in Modogashe in Isiolo county on Saturday /HANDOUTIsiolo leaders have launched a scathing attack on Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen, accusing him of failing to contain escalating insecurity in the county.
Led by Governor Abdi Guyo, the leaders are warning that Murkomen’s inaction in taming the runaway insecurity is hurting President William Ruto’s administration.
The leaders, who have been vocal supporters of the government, said they could no longer defend the administration as armed attacks continued to claim lives, destroy livelihoods and leave families living in fear.
Speaking at a fundraiser in Modogashe on Saturday, Guyo said Murkomen was failing in his responsibility and contrasted his performance with that of his predecessor, Kithure Kindiki (now Deputy President).
He said the Interior CS should take personal responsibility for the worsening insecurity and visit affected areas instead of leaving residents to fend for themselves.
“I want to ask Interior CS Murkomen to do his work. It seems this work is too heavy for him,” Guyo said.
The leaders spoke days after bandits laid an ambush on a police van and killed five people, including police officers. This was the latest in a series of killings.
“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 said.
“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 the county would continue supporting Ruto despite its frustration with the Interior ministry, arguing the President should not be judged by the performance of an individual Cabinet secretary.
“The President has done a lot of things and we cannot criticise him because of the laziness of one minister,” he said.
“We will continue to push the government to do its work. But it will not stop us from saying that we will elect our President for a second term because of the work that he has done.”
Guyo cited infrastructure and electricity projects as examples of what he described as the President’s achievements in the region, asking why the performance of one minister should be used to judge the entire administration.
“Isn’t this Modogashe road going on? Hasn’t he given us electricity?” he asked.
The governor also aimed at Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo, who chairs the Senate National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations Committee, challenging her to use her parliamentary position to summon Murkomen and demand answers over the killings.
Guyo accused Dullo of spending too much time discussing her “personal political grievances” instead of using the Senate platform to champion the county's security concerns.
“You have been given a very big seat by the UDA government as the chairperson of the Senate Security Committee. We see you when you go to boardrooms; you are seated like an ordinary citizen and crying with them. We don’t want those games,” Guyo said.
“We want you to go to the Senate, summon Murkomen and ask him why he is unable to do his work.”
The governor said the senator should also demand answers from Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja over the failure to prevent attacks in the county.
His remarks came days after five people were killed in a bandit attack in Isiolo, including security personnel.
Isiolo Woman Representative Mumina Bonaya said residents were becoming increasingly frustrated despite repeatedly raising security concerns with the national government.
She said leaders had consistently passed information about insecurity to the Interior ministry, but little appeared to have changed.
“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,” Bonaya said.
She said the constitution places the responsibility of protecting citizens squarely on the national government.
“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,” she said.
Bonaya said the leaders had supported Ruto’s administration and its policies in Parliament, but warned that continued insecurity could undermine that political goodwill.
“We love this government, but if insecurity worsens, we will say Tutam songs be stopped in this county until we get proper security,” she said.
“I want to tell Murkomen he has failed the President. You have let down the people of Isiolo.”
She said Kindiki, who served as Interior CS before being appointed Deputy President, had been more accessible to leaders and residents in insecurity-prone areas.
“We used to have Kindiki who used to listen to us. But Murkomen, we cannot get him,” Bonaya said.
Isiolo county assembly speaker Abdullahi Banticha delivered an even tougher warning, saying residents could be forced to consider protecting themselves if the government failed to provide adequate security.
“If the government cannot give us enough security, we will plan and protect ourselves. We cannot allow our people to be killed all the time, every time,” he said.
“We want to tell Murkomen: arrest these bandits who are killing our people. If you are unable, then let us deal with them.”
Banticha said residents respected the government but were increasingly frustrated by what he described as its failure to protect them.
“We respect this government, but we don’t fear it. We are tired. Murkomen must stop ruining politics for the President,” he said.
Ngare Mara MCA Peter Losu said the worsening insecurity was undermining the government's political support in the region.
“Tell the President that we cannot continue singing Tutam when our people are killed every day.”
He said insecurity was destroying livelihoods and affecting children's education.
“We cannot sing Tutam when our people in Isiolo are losing their property every day. We cannot sing Tutam when our people continue to remain orphans. We cannot sing Tutam when our children are not going to school because of insecurity,” Losu said.
Former Isiolo Governor and Senate aspirant Godana Doyo also condemned the killings and called for urgent action to restore security.
Instant analysis
Isiolo leaders’ criticism of Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen exposes deepening local frustration over banditry, threatening regional support for President William Ruto. By contrasting Murkomen with Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Governor Abdi Guyo’s faction strategically isolates the ministry to shield Ruto's 2027 reelection bid from a mounting security backlash.
