Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has dismissed claims that Kenya is facing a security crisis following the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, insisting that the country’s security system remains firmly in control despite isolated incidents reported during the vote.

Speaking during a thanksgiving ceremony at Tenwek High School in Bomet on Saturday, July 18, 2026, Murkomen said the government would not allow propaganda to undermine public confidence in the country’s security agencies.

“There is no security crisis in Kenya. The security of this country and the security officers of this country led by the Inspector General of Police, are fully in charge of the security of the nation,” Murkomen said.

His remarks come amid political exchanges over the conduct of the Ol Kalou by-election, where opposition leaders claimed cases of intimidation and violence, while the government maintained that security agencies acted professionally to safeguard the electoral process.

Murkomen downplays incidents

Murkomen acknowledged that there were “a few elements” that caused minor disturbances during the exercise but maintained that the incidents were isolated and should not be used to define the country’s overall security situation.

“The challenges we had in Ol Kalou over a few elements that may have caused a bit of scuffle here and there are not going to become the branding of the security sector in the country,” he said.

The CS praised the more than 1,000 police officers deployed to secure the by-election, saying they ensured peace and order throughout the exercise.

“Kenyans must appreciate the police officers, over a thousand police officers who were there in Ol Kalou to ensure that there is order. By their own admission, they believe that they visited a fantastic job and that democracy prevailed,” he said.

Democracy must be respected

Murkomen further urged political leaders to accept election outcomes gracefully, arguing that democracy should be respected regardless of who emerges victorious.

“Democracy cannot only prevail when you win and not prevail when you lose. We must learn to accept when we win and learn to accept when we lose,” he stated.

The Interior CS also cautioned against using the Ol Kalou contest to fuel ethnic tensions, saying the by-election was a local democratic exercise rather than a national political showdown.

“It’s not about Mount Kenya versus the rest of Kenya. It’s not about this tribe against the other tribe. It’s about the triumph of democracy to ensure that an election was done and that the winner won,” he said.

Murkomen further challenged former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to file a formal police report to allow a proper probe into the cases he raised on Friday, July 17, 2026.