Murkomen rejects out-of-court settlements in defilement, incest cases
By Mabonga Makhanu, September 6, 2025Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has rejected the use of out-of-court conflict resolution mechanisms in defilement and incest-related cases, which he said are prevalent in Vihiga County.
Speaking during Jukwaa La Usalama in Vihiga County on Saturday, September 6, 2025, the CS called for an end to the use of alternative means in resolving such cases, noting that this practice has taken root in the region.
According to Murkomen, one of the main reasons defilement persists in Vihiga is cultural acceptance, where incidents such as an uncle defiling a child are often settled within families or through community negotiations instead of being prosecuted in court as required by law.
The CS directed chiefs and other security officers to deal with such matters decisively, stressing that anyone found committing such acts must be arrested and arraigned in court.
“The issue here is cultural acceptance; why defilement is very prevalent in these regions is cultural practices and societal structure. A lot of it is incestuous, with close family members defiling a small child or an uncle or stepfather,” he said.
“And I have told the security teams we can’t have these, and this is the discussion I have had with the chiefs, so we can’t have alternative conflict resolution measures to solve the problem; it must be just enforcement of the law, and everybody involved in defilement must be arrested,” he started.
Murkomen further noted that gender-based violence has become a serious menace in Vihiga. Unlike in other areas where women are primarily the victims, he pointed out that in Vihiga, both men and women are affected, with cases of women abusing and beating their husbands also being reported.
Insecurity issues
He also raised concerns over the surge in insecurity across Western Kenya. While in most regions gangs are mainly confined to urban areas, Murkomen highlighted that in Western Kenya, criminal gangs operate even in rural villages. He cited notorious groups such as the “47 Brothers” in Kakamega, the “18 Brothers” in Vihiga, and the “42 Brothers” in Bungoma.
“The other problem is gangs and goons. In the western region, as I said, the biggest concern that must bother us is that gangs in other counties are only confined to our urban areas, but in the West, they are in the villages.”