Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has maintained that the government will not back down on its decision to prefer terrorism charges against individuals involved in violent acts during recent protests.

Speaking during the launch of his Jukwaa La Usalama public engagement forum in Eldoret on July 23rd, Murkomen took a swipe at the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), accusing it of siding with lawbreakers at the expense of ordinary Kenyans whose lives and property have been disrupted by destructive demonstrations.

“The Prevention of Terrorism Act is clear and unambiguous. Orchestrating violence, endangering life, creating serious risk to public health or safety, causing serious damage to property, using firearms or explosives, and interfering with essential services are all terrorist acts,” the CS said. “How better can we define those using petrol bombs to burn courts and other critical infrastructure?”

Murkomen urged the judiciary not to succumb to public pressure or intimidation when granting bail to those facing terrorism-related charges, arguing that the rights of law-abiding citizens must be safeguarded.

He criticized LSK President Faith Odhiambo for allegedly undermining the integrity of investigations and prematurely questioning the quality of evidence presented in court.

“I saw the interview with the LSK President, and she was arrogating herself the role of a judge. How did she determine that the evidence we gave in court is not watertight? The question of threshold is for the court to decide,” he stated.

The CS further challenged Odhiambo to uphold the rule of law by allowing due process to take its course, rather than politicizing the legal proceedings.

“Once a matter is in court, she can choose to stand with the suspects as a defense lawyer or stand with the people of Kenya who have lost property in these violent protests,” he said.

Murkomen also called on the opposition to support efforts aimed at restoring order during demonstrations, saying peaceful protests are only possible when those sponsoring unrest are held accountable.

He noted that the Prevention of Terrorism Act was enacted during former Public Service CS Justin Muturi’s tenure as National Assembly Speaker, and urged Muturi to advise leaders allegedly financing chaos to respect the law.