Made in church: CS Murkomen draws on his old pulpit skills for ministerial success

The Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Kipchumba Murkomen, has always said that he was raised in the church and that he was a youth evangelist before venturing into politics. 

Indeed, anyone who interacts with him for even a short while will notice how he, Murkomen, draws on biblical anecdotes to support his points or justify his way of doing things.

It is no wonder that his old-time moniker, ‘Kijana wa Pastor’, summarises the personal attributes that he seems to have brought to his current role as the Interior CS. Though he has been in this docket for only a short while, he has taken with gusto his role that entails commenting on things that are close to his Christian teachings, for instance, his railing against alcohol and substance abuse, uncivil behaviour, and breakdown in law and order.

It was unsurprising that CS Murkomen was in his element last Sunday in North Imenti at a Sunday service in AIC Makutano, where he was the chief guest during its 8th anniversary. I stumbled on a live feed of the event on social media, and I was instantly fascinated. His usual preemptory phrase, ‘the Bible teaches us…’, was apparent, as it has been even when he speaks in media interviews.

Bible Studies

Yet, nothing had prepared me for a full preacher-policy wonk combo on display last Sunday. ‘If we want to change our society, especially those of us calling ourselves Christians, the real change is not in Sunday service; Sunday service is for celebrations. The real change is in the Bible Studies in our houses as we speak to our children, to guide them on the right path.’

He was roundly applauded for this. It was in this vein that the CS made his widely circulated claim that some of the young people making hateful comments on social media have underlying mental health issues that stem from alcohol and drug abuse. 

As a lover of rhetoric, I watched on as for half an hour, Murkomen glided from one topic to another, all steering listeners to the need for law and order if Kenya is to prosper. 

In fact, he repeated the phrase ‘order in society’ twice. He talked about the responsibility of Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs in the fight against alcohol and substance abuse, he warned against gang violence, spoke against harmful traditional practices, and spelt out the measures the government has implemented to defeat banditry - all without losing his audience or sounding out of place.

Perhaps knowing his strengths, Murkomen usually fellowships in Kerio Valley, where he rallies communities against banditry. In the previously troubled valley, Murkomen is often accompanied by leaders, and his credibility among the locals is intact. Not to be underestimated also is his ability to speak most local languages along the once-troubled belt.

Parental guidance

Save for a few trouble spots in the valley, the guns have gone silent and life has returned to once-abandoned homes and villages. Whether this is due to his rhetorical prowess and real work is are possible explanation, given that on other occasions, the CS worships with the security personnel who are on the front line in the fight against crime.

The influence of his faith on CS Murkomen’s outlook on duty is apparent, and indeed, he seems to suggest that continuous parental guidance is necessary for the youth, especially Gen Zs, to turn out positively and contribute meaningfully to national development. 

Whether directly or otherwise, CS Murkomen rehashes what the Bible in Proverbs 22:6 states, ‘Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.’ At a time when society has become more conscientious than before, even such an old biblical teaching can well pass for a courageous speaking of truth to prevalent yet popular untruths.

The writer is an independent editor and policy analyst

waihenyak@gmail.com