Murkomen: Police have launched probe into fuel protest deaths
By Aloys Michael, May 18, 2026Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has confirmed that investigations are underway into the deaths reported during anti-fuel protests, even as he accused a section of politicians of sponsoring violent demonstrations across the country.
Speaking during a press briefing on Monday, May 18, 2026, Murkomen said security agencies were probing the circumstances under which at least four people lost their lives during clashes between police and demonstrators in different parts of the country.
“As for those who lost their lives, investigations are ongoing. It will establish exactly the situation, whether these are innocent civilians, innocent citizens, or were they criminals who died in the process of being apprehended or being dealt with,” Murkomen said.
The latest fatality was reported in Kiambu County after a person was reported to have been shot during confrontations between protesters and police officers. Two other deaths were recorded in Kakamega, while authorities confirmed another fatality linked to the unrest.
Murkomen has defended the government’s response, insisting that security agencies acted to contain what he described as organised criminal activity disguised as peaceful demonstrations.
“For our country, we will intensify our fight against organised crime and its sponsors, who are hell-bent on propagating anarchy,” he stated.
The CS has further warned that those behind the unrest would face the full force of the law, revealing that hundreds of suspects had already been arrested in connection with the violence and destruction witnessed in several towns.
“The full force of law will be brought to bear on the organisers of today’s violence and wanton destruction of property. In fact, about 348 perpetrators have already been arrested,” he said.
The protests, initially staged over rising fuel prices and the high cost of living, quickly escalated into violent confrontations in Nairobi and other regions.
Authorities say demonstrators blocked major roads, destroyed property, and engaged police officers in running battles that disrupted transport and businesses.
Murkomen condemned the deaths and injuries reported during the demonstrations, saying more than 30 people had been injured during the chaos.
“It is quite unfortunate also that four Kenyans in today’s violence, we lost four. Unfortunately, we lost four Kenyans in today’s violence, which also saw more than 30 people injured,” he said.
Murkomen blames political leaders
The CS also launched a sharp attack on opposition-linked politicians whom he accused of orchestrating the unrest for political gain.
“It is very regrettable that there are politicians in this country who measure the success of opposition against the government by the number of innocent lives lost in the demonstrations they organise,” Murkomen added.
His remarks came shortly after Nairobi Regional Police Commander Issa Mohamud detailed the scale of destruction and arrests recorded during the protests.
Mohamud confirmed that at least 225 people had been arrested and would face a range of serious criminal charges.
“We have 225 arrests so far. We will charge them with serious offences, economic sabotage, and malicious damage to police vehicles. They will face serious consequences of the law,” he revealed.
The police commander maintained that the demonstrations were unlawful because authorities had not been formally notified in advance.
“We were not notified; we were not aware, so we were not notified in advance. It was not peaceful, it was armed, so it was illegal,” Mohamud said.
According to police, protesters erected makeshift barricades using rocks, blocks, and boulders, severely disrupting movement within the capital and interfering with public transport and business operations.
“They started blocking roads using blocks, rocks and boulders, thus disrupting public order, interfering with the rights of others and other road users, which is illegal and amounts to a breach of the law,” he stated.
Mohamud further argued that the demonstrations had evolved into acts of economic sabotage because of the widespread impact on businesses and critical services.
“There was deliberate obstruction of transport networks and disruption of businesses, and all this constitutes economic sabotage because it is affecting livelihoods and critical services in the capital city,” he added.
Security agencies also claimed they had received intelligence reports indicating that armed groups intended to infiltrate the protests to loot businesses and destroy property.
“We had credible intelligence that there were hired goons armed with crude weapons who wanted to exploit the situation to loot supermarkets and shops, destroy private and public property, and incite others,” Mohamud said.
The latest unrest adds to mounting pressure on the government over the rising cost of living, with fuel prices remaining a major source of public frustration across the country.