The High Court has declined to issue interim orders in a high-profile case seeking to declare Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen unfit for public office over controversial comments he allegedly made advocating the use of lethal force during anti-government protests.

In a brief court session, the matter was scheduled for mention on October 27, 2025, before Justice Bahati Mwamuye, without any immediate directives issued.

The Gema Watho Association, which filed the petition, is demanding a public retraction from CS Murkomen over a “shoot-on-sight” directive they claim he issued during remarks made in Kikuyu Town following the June 25 anti-government demonstrations. The association argues that these comments, if left unchallenged, set a dangerous precedent and promote police impunity, in violation of the Constitution.

According to the court documents, the alleged directive instructed police to shoot civilians approaching police stations—an order the petitioners claim directly violates Article 26 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to life. They further contend that such statements fail to meet the legal and constitutional standards required for the use of force by law enforcement.

CS Murkomen is being represented by lawyer Cecil Miller, though no formal responses have been filed yet.

The case has drawn in several key institutions, with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, National Police Service (NPS), Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights listed as respondents. The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the Mount Kenya Jurists Party have also been named as interested parties.

As the matter awaits further deliberation in court, it raises significant questions about leadership accountability, police oversight, and the rule of law in handling civil unrest.