Murkomen: Protesters targeted anti-Gachagua MPs in Mt Kenya

By Newsflash Reporter

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has claimed that the nationwide Gen Z-led protests on June 25 were not spontaneous civic action but a premeditated campaign of political violence aimed at destabilizing the government and targeting its allies.

In a press briefing issued on June 26, Murkomen alleged that the demonstrations, which swept across multiple counties, were marked by vandalism, looting, and targeted attacks on pro-government leaders. He accused the protest organizers of orchestrating chaos under the guise of exercising democratic rights.

“What was billed as a peaceful protest was, in truth, a calculated disguise—a coordinated descent into chaos masked as civic expression,” said the Interior CS. “This was not just violence. It was an orchestrated campaign of terror, an assault on our people, our Constitution, our institutions, and the very soul of this Republic.”

Murkomen stated that critical infrastructure, including roads, railway lines, electricity, and water systems, were vandalized in various parts of the country during the protests. However, he emphasized that the most alarming aspect was the direct targeting of homes and businesses belonging to elected leaders who opposed to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

Targeted leaders

Among those targeted, according to Murkomen, were National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, Molo MP Kimani Kuria, Mathira MP Eric Wamumbi, Kieni MP Njoroge Wainaina, Mbeere South MP Eng. Bernard Muriuki, and Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri.

“These were not random acts of violence. The attacks were deliberate, funded, and politically instigated,” he said.

Murkomen further claimed that protestors mobilized along Kiambu and Thika roads were heard chanting slogans such as “it is time to take over power” and “occupy State House,” which he said revealed the underlying political motives of the demonstrations.

The protests, largely driven by Gen Z anger over the now-withdrawn Finance Bill 2024, have gained traction on social media and drawn international attention. However, the government has maintained that violent elements hijacked the movement for political ends.

Murkomen concluded by reaffirming the government’s commitment to protecting lives and property, warning that security agencies would pursue the perpetrators and financiers behind the violence. “Our resolve to protect the motherland is unbreakable,” he said