Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has apologised to journalists who were injured while covering the violence that erupted during the Linda Mwananchi rally in Homa Bay.
Murkomen said the government was saddened by the attacks on members of the media, acknowledging that police officers failed to adequately protect journalists caught up in the political fracas.
The CS made the remarks on Tuesday, August 25, during the launch of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission's roadmap towards a violence-free 2027 General Election, dubbed Uchaguzi Bila Noma.
The CS made the remarks on Tuesday, August 25, during the launch of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission's roadmap towards a violence-free 2027 General Election, dubbed Uchaguzi Bila Noma.
“I want to apologise to the media in instances where the police were unable to protect you during some of these rallies and political instances. I was very saddened by the journalists who were injured in Homa Bay. That was really very sad,” Murkomen said.
Several journalists were assaulted during the Homa Bay incidents, with some sustaining injuries while covering the political activities. Media equipment was also damaged or stolen, while vehicles belonging to media crews were reportedly attacked.
Murkomen said journalists should not be prevented from covering political events, noting that their professional responsibility requires them to report on incidents even when situations become tense.
“You cannot tell journalists not to cover. You can't even tell them to go home, because they have to cover every incident, even when the people are going home,” he said.
The Interior CS directed the country's top police leadership to work more closely with media organisations to improve the safety of journalists covering political rallies and other potentially volatile events.
“The DIG, the IG and the team must work closely with the media houses to see how best we can protect journalists,” Murkomen said.
His remarks came amid growing concerns over the safety of journalists ahead of the 2027 General Election, with political rallies expected to increase as parties and prospective candidates intensify their campaigns.
Murkomen, however, also urged journalists and media houses to provide sufficient context when reporting statements made by political leaders and government officials.
“To journalists, you must contextualise. You must put the context in place,” he said.
The CS criticised what he described as a tendency to give prominence to short clips or isolated statements while overlooking wider discussions about national development and cohesion.
“When people are talking about good things, about the good of the country, usually it never gets the space. But very small stories, and then cutting some statements,” he said.
Murkomen further cautioned against reporting statements without the circumstances in which they were made, saying this could create a misleading impression among the public.
He cited instances where a statement about security risks at a political rally could be interpreted differently when presented without the surrounding explanation.
“When you go and cut my speech in a small clip without the context, and then you start saying the minister said, if you know that there will be criminals in a particular place, rally, you should not go,” he said.
The CS's comments came as government agencies, political actors, civil society organisations and other stakeholders renewed calls for peaceful political competition ahead of the 2027 polls.
The Uchaguzi Bila Noma initiative seeks to promote peaceful elections and strengthen cooperation among institutions and communities to prevent political violence.
Murkomen's apology places renewed attention on the responsibility of security agencies to protect journalists while allowing the media to independently cover political events, particularly as Kenya approaches another highly contested election period.