Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has downplayed the extent of goonism in the country, saying the problem has been exaggerated for political reasons even as he directed police to intensify the crackdown on criminal gangs and those financing them.
Speaking during the launch of the Multi-Biometric Identification System at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters, Murkomen said criminal gangs should be dealt with firmly using all lawful means.
“The issue of goons isn’t as bad as exaggerated. It’s being hyped by politics and politicians…” he said.
The CS accused some politicians of creating and funding criminal gangs to advance their political agendas, arguing that the issue had become a tool for political contestation rather than a genuine reflection of the country’s security situation.
Murkomen also claimed that some religious leaders who had previously defended suspects arrested during the 2024 and 2025 anti-government protests were now calling on the government to take tougher action against criminal gangs.
“We saw the church defending those goons… Now they are crying for the government to end goonism,” he said.
He maintained that Kenyans had made it clear they wanted criminal gangs eliminated and issued a firm directive to the National Police Service.
“If church leaders have given us a go-ahead to deal with goons, now you have my order as police: deal with goons mercilessly,” he ordered.
Murkomen made the remarks while unveiling the Multi-Biometric Identification System, a new digital platform designed to modernise criminal identification and investigations.
According to the Interior Ministry, the system is expected to reduce the processing time for police clearance certificates from the current 14 days to less than 24 hours. It will also provide digital access to criminal records, strengthen investigations and improve the presentation of evidence in court.
“The new system integrates fingerprint and facial recognition…” DCI Director Mohamed Amin said.
Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga welcomed the initiative, saying the platform would significantly enhance the speed and efficiency of criminal investigations and prosecutions by enabling faster identification and improved evidence management.
