Murkomen jolts opposition over Jubaland forces remarks

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has dismissed claims by opposition leaders that foreign troops are operating inside Kenya, accusing them of stoking unnecessary tension for political gain.
Speaking in Kakamega on Friday during his 36th Jukwaa La Usalama county tour, Murkomen said Kenya’s sovereignty is intact and that there is no foreign military presence in Mandera or any other part of the country.
“I want to once again reiterate that Kenya is safe and is under no threat whatsoever from any foreign force,” Murkomen told journalists. “The only constant threat we face is that of terrorist elements, particularly Al Shabaab.”
His remarks follow a series of claims by the opposition-led team, who have raised alarm over the government’s inaction to protect the Mandera county residents from the Ras Kamboni/RSF Jubaland forces have crossed into Kenyan territory.
Opposition leaders, including Kalonzo Musyoka, Rigathi Gachagua, Fred Matiang’i, and Justin Muturi, have accused the government of “failing to protect Kenya’s borders” and suggested that the presence of Jubaland troops amounts to a “foreign occupation.”
Gachagua, who served as Deputy President between 2022 and 2024 before falling out with President William Ruto and shifting to the opposition benches, has been among the most vocal critics. He has demanded that Parliament summon security chiefs to explain the alleged breach of territorial integrity.
Kalonzo and Matiang’i have echoed similar concerns, insisting that residents in Mandera have repeatedly raised alarms about heavily armed men moving freely near Kenyan villages.
Murkomen scoffs off
Murkomen dismissed the claims as misleading and politically motivated.
“I have seen senior politicians, some of whom have been vice presidents and security ministers, using the word occupation. This is unfortunate,” he said. “They know very well that the word occupation is a technical term which means a takeover. Nothing of the sort has happened.”
The CS insisted that what has occasionally been witnessed at the border are refugees fleeing conflict in Somalia, not Jubaland troops establishing camps inside Kenya. He stressed that such movements are handled within diplomatic and humanitarian frameworks in line with international law.
Murkomen further warned that reckless political rhetoric could incite unnecessary panic, especially in areas already grappling with the threat of Al-Shabaab attacks.
Jubaland Forces.PHOTO/Kurunzi News digital screengrab
He also cautioned the media against amplifying unverified reports. “I saw a section of the media report from schools in Mandera and so on. Did you see the foreign troops in those reports?” he asked.
The CS vowed to continue rolling out the Jukwaa La Usalama forums across counties, saying they provide a crucial platform for community engagement, intelligence gathering, and reassurance on security matters.
The row over Jubaland troops comes amid intensifying political battles between the Kenya Kwanza administration and the opposition. Analysts note that security has become a new frontier in the rivalry, with the opposition framing the incursion as evidence of government failure, while Murkomen and other Cabinet members accuse their rivals of fearmongering ahead of the 2027 general elections.