Kipchumba Murkomen’s appointment as Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration marks another chapter in his remarkable rise in President William Ruto’s inner circle and puts the former legislator in a powerful role that faces constant scrutiny.
His reassignment to the Interior and National Administration docket came four months after his reappointment as Sports Cabinet Secretary , considered a demotion from the expansive Roads, Transport and Infrastructure portfolio in the disbanded team.
Even before the youth-led protests that peaked in June, Mr Murkomen was a magnet for social media criticism, with some considering him the poster child of the conspicuous consumption by influential individuals in the Ruto administration. He has always denied the accusations of obscenely displaying wealth—through harambees and his sense of fashion—as the country goes through tough economic times. But it did not help matters that his tenure at the Transport ministry was haunted by embarrassing infrastructure challenges at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), including the failure of standby generators and leaking roofs. To his credit, he promised to fix the problems—only for them to recur.
When the Cabinet was disbanded in July, there were questions about his future, but he sprang back as some of his former colleagues were dropped. To observers, this was enough evidence of his influence in Dr Ruto’s kitchen cabinet. While taking up the Sports docket, he apologised for his flashy lifestyle and promised to serve with humility.
“I’m grateful and honoured to have been reassigned by His Excellency the President, as the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Interior and National Administration. Thank you, Mr President, for this incredible opportunity to serve our great nation in this capacity,” he posted on his X account.
On Friday, as he took over the powerful Harambee House office from Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi—who was acting in the role after previous office holder Prof Kithure Kindiki was appointed Deputy President—Mr Murkomen had no illusions about the task ahead but gave assurance that the role was in the right hands.
“I will serve with utmost respect in this docket. I am grateful to President Ruto for giving me the opportunity to serve Kenyans in this docket. My predecessors have already built the success upon which I will step on to move the ministry forward,” he said.
As if to send the message that he was starting work from Day One, he called upon Kenyans to practice safe driving on the roads during the festive season and carry out their celebrations in moderation to avoid unnecessary accidents.
“During this festive season I call upon all Kenyans to celebrate in moderation. As the government we assure the citizens that we shall uphold security. Those who are traveling, let us all observe the traffic rules and take care of our lives,” Mr Murkomen said.
Mr Murkomen has also said he will focus on building up on the progress made by his predecessors in the docket.
Mr Murkomen was among three senior elected UDA politicians who resigned from their elective seats to join the Cabinet in 2022. The other two were Mr Aden Duale and Ms Alice Wahome.
In 2020, his close ties with Dr Ruto saw him lose the lofty Senate Majority Leader slot following the political fallout between then President Uhuru Kenyatta and Dr Ruto (the Deputy President at the time).
Mr Murkomen will be taking up the Interior docket at a time security agencies have come under increased public scrutiny over rising cases of police excesses and reports of human rights abuses in the wake of the youth-led protests in June and July.
There are also growing concerns over the killing of women; the banditry question in the North Rift; renewed efforts to tackle terrorism; and the enduring questions on police conduct.
The modernisation of the police service as well as the implementation of far-reaching recommendations by a taskforce that was chaired by former Chief Justice David Maraga, are also matters of concern.
In his former role as Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, Mr Murkomen found himself in the front line of the anti-femicide movement.
At least four elite female athletes have been murdered in Kenya since 2020, including Uganda’s women’s marathon record holder Rebecca Cheptegei in September this year, and long-distance runner Agnes Tirop in 2021.
In recent weeks, he pushed for the resolution of leadership crises in various sports federations.
Football Kenya Federation (FKF), whose leadership has been blamed for falling standards in the country’s leagues, this month held elections, with Hussein Mohammed taking over from the under-siege Nick Mwendwa. The Cabinet Secretary had openly declared he was opposed to Mr Mwendwa running for office as vice president in a ticket led by Doris Petra.
One of his last acts at the Sports ministry was the appointment of a 12-member task force to develop a policy to combat gender-based violence in sports and ensure a safer environment for women in sports.
Mr Murkomen, an outspoken former senator, practising lawyer and law scholar, has never hidden the fact that he is the President’s confidant.
During the parliamentary vetting of President Ruto’s first Cabinet in October 2022, opposition MPs singled him out as one of the few competent nominees, alongside Kithure Kindiki (now deputy president) and Aden Duale (now Environment Cabinet Secretary).
With the inclusion of opposition members in the Cabinet under the broad-based government announced by President Ruto in July, the former Elgeyo Marakwet senator will also find his political experience crucial in handling the high-profile Interior docket.
