Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced that the government will begin closely monitoring former police officers and ex-military personnel, citing concerns over their involvement in activities that threaten public safety and national security.

Speaking on Thursday, Murkomen said the arrest of former prisons officer Jackson Kuria Kihara, also known as Cop Shakur, and former Kenya Defence Forces officer Patrick Nyambaka Osoi had exposed the risks posed by ex-service members misusing their state-acquired combat training.

He noted that individuals trained by the government on the use of weapons have a greater duty than civilians and must not use their skills to threaten the public.

“There are characters I saw online calling themselves forces fighting police brutality and yet they were carrying guns and dressed in jungle green attire trying to intimidate the people of Kenya,” said Murkomen.

“I want to tell this, all police officers and military officers out of service they have a greater responsibility than a civilian and we will put them under very strict surveillance because those are persons highly trained by the government of Kenya on the use of arms and once they start threatening the public and government we consider that subversive activities and I’m glad the DCI has investigated, arrested and charged some of them and must be dealt with,” he added.

The CS disclosed that the government is aware that the two were working to establish a military wing to push certain political agendas, a move he said would not be tolerated.

He warned that former officers found engaging in political or criminal actions would face firm consequences.

“We know they are establishing a military wing of the political activities, we will not allow that. Let me be very clear, those officers doing politics in office or exiting office to go and carry out criminal activity must be dealt with firmly,”  Murkomen said.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is probing the duo for suspected links to terrorism. Cop Shakur was arrested after Osoi, and was allegedly found with a red beret marked with the ‘FBI’ symbol.