Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has expressed hope that the court case halting the operationalisation of the Victims Compensation Committee will be resolved swiftly to allow the government to compensate victims of police brutality.
Speaking in Parliament, Murkomen said the administration is keen on addressing cases of police excesses, particularly those arising during public protests, rallies and picketing, where citizens exercise their constitutional rights but sometimes suffer injuries or loss of life.
He noted that the proposed compensation framework was designed to address cases recorded between 2017 and 2025, following a court-injected process. “We hope that the matter can be sorted quickly and a consent recorded in court to enable this administration to undertake an unprecedented compensation process,” he said.
Murkomen acknowledged that police brutality has been a longstanding issue dating back to 1963, arguing that it did not begin with the current administration.
He claimed that cases were also prevalent under previous governments, accusing some political actors of selective criticism.
To address the issue, the CS revealed that on July 18 last year, he issued written policy directives to the Inspector General of the National Police Service outlining conditions on the use of force and firearms by officers.
The directives, he said, provide guidance on deployment protocols, including assessing the mental health status of officers before assigning them to sensitive operations.
The move aims to prevent incidents where officers struggling with mental health challenges misuse firearms, resulting in civilian deaths.
Murkomen maintained that the reforms are intended to enhance accountability and ensure that future administrations have clear policy frameworks to address concerns around police conduct.
