Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen, Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja and DCI Mohamed Amin before the National Assembly’s Committee on Administration and Internal Security at Parliament Buildings on October 7, 2026 /DOUGLAS OKIDDYInterior CS Kipchumba Murkomen yesterday clashed with MPs over whether decades of marginalisation should be blamed for the escalating cases of banditry.
The hot debate pitted Murkomen’s argument that historical state neglect has created fertile ground for banditry against lawmakers who insisted that marginalisation cannot be used to justify the killing of people or the loss of their property.
Murkomen said systemic marginalisation was the common denominator in
areas plagued by banditry. He spoke at Parliament Buildings when he appeared before the National Assembly's Committee on Administration and National Security. The panel is chaired by Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo.
The CS said poor roads, inadequate schools, lack of water, weak communication networks and limited access to government services had created conditions in which criminals could operate with ease.
“Whereas the other factors might contribute, in my personal opinion, I think the greatest thing contributing to banditry is marginalisation. I think, the fact that you go to Samburu, or in Baringo, you go to Tiaty constituency, there are no roads. There is no network,” the CS said.
Murkomen said communities fighting each other were themselves victims of decades of neglect, warning that deploying security officers without tackling the underlying socio-economic problems would only offer a temporary reprieve.
“I know communities are fighting over themselves. But the reality is that, on this particular issue, everybody is trying to stand their ground, to look like they are defending their community. But all of them are victims of marginalisation,” he stated
“There are no roads. There is no network. There are no schools. There is no education. Accessibility and underdevelopment is the greatest contributor.”
But MPs from Meru rejected the argument, warning that marginalisation could not become a convenient explanation for the killing of innocent people.
Buuri MP Mugambi Rindikiri said the debate over livestock should not overshadow the loss of human lives, insisting that Meru residents were more concerned about compensation for families whose property and livelihoods had been destroyed.
“Marginalisation is not justification for stating that cows are sacred to some regions. There is no sacredness for one community. People have suffered, people have been killed and others have been left homeless. The sacred cows do not matter to me and the people of Meru what we want is to hear about compensation,” he said
Tigania West MP John Kanyuithia questioned how marginalisation could be blamed for banditry while accusing the security agencies of failing to act against political and community leaders allegedly backing the criminals.
“I believe that this security operation going on is because
some senior police officers were killed; I would like to know why Meru people
not important yet they were killed,” he said.
Igembe North MP Julius Taitum also challenged the marginalisation argument, pointing to North Eastern, another historically marginalised region, and asking why it had not experienced banditry on the same scale.
“Any life is sacred. We support operation targeting the bandits,” Taitum said.
But Samburu West MP Naisula Lesuuda defended the importance of livestock to her community, arguing that insecurity and development could not coexist.
“If people can kill then there can never be development,” she said.
Samburu Woman Representative Pauline Lenguris said livestock remained the backbone of many families in the region and deserved protection.
“For us, livestock is sacred; they have no voice, and that is why we have become their voices,” Lenguris said.
Murkomen also ruled out compensation for families who have lost livestock and property during the attacks, saying the government had no legal framework for such payments.
He said the state's responsibility was to protect life and property, investigate crimes and ensure perpetrators were brought to justice.
“We have no legal policy framework for compensation. From a criminal justice standpoint, if we were to compensate, the affected families and other people in town who had their phones stolen or houses broken in to would demand compensation,” the CS explained.
Murkomen said 14 people had been killed and 17 injured in banditry-related incidents across the affected region between June and September 2026.
