Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has addressed the recent incident involving a panga-wielding man and police officers in Nakuru.
While speaking on Friday, June 13, the CS criticised Kenyans for supporting the man, noting that the incident could have easily turned chaotic.
"You see police officers trying to restore calm but then you see a man with a panga going after the police officers. Yet you will find some citizens cheering such a person in social media or today," Murkomen stated.
He stated that the government would be more stringent on such individuals, adding that the State would “hold civilians accountable.”
He cited the recent case of a police officer’s hand being chopped off during deadly clashes between citizens and police in Narok over a livestock-related issue as an example of what could happen when such incidents turn chaotic.
At the same time, he congratulated the police officers for exercising restraint in the face of the threat posed by the man.
In a viral clip that surfaced online, a man in London Estate, Nakuru, was seen wielding a panga towards police officers during protests.
The man could be seen seemingly threatening to attack the officers with the panga.
In response, an officer was seen lobbing a tear gas canister towards him in an attempt to thwart the man.
However, the man remained unfazed and went ahead to even ‘sharpen’ the panga on the road.
He continued to charge towards them, shouting endeni huko (go away) as the officers retreated.
The youth was among the charged protestors who took to the streets in Nakuru, demonstrating against the fatal shooting of 35-year-old Duncan Nderitu, reportedly by a police officer.
Reports revealed that Nderitu was killed during an altercation when police attempted to arrest a suspected drug peddler in the area. The confrontation reportedly turned chaotic as residents confronted the officers, prompting them to fire in the air to disperse the crowd.
