Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has dismissed claims that a special police squad is targeting protesters, insisting that such a unit would be illegal and unconstitutional.

Speaking on Tuesday, July 15 at Harambe House, Murkomen stated: “There is no known police squad involved in killing people. It will be unconstitutional and illegal,” adding that a policy directive on the use of force and firearms by police will be issued this Friday.

“Cognisant of the raging debate and national concerns on the use of force by security personnel, I will this Friday, pursuant to Article 245 (4) of the Constitution, be issuing a policy directive to the Inspector General of Police on the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officers.”

His remarks come days after President William Ruto ordered  security agencies to deal decisively with those looting and destroying property during protests by shooting them in the leg.

“Anyone who vandalises any property and attacks a police officer should be shot in the leg, taken to the hospital and court of law. He should not be killed, but break his leg and take him to court,” said the President.

But Murkomen was quick to clarify that police conduct must remain within the law, regardless of the situation.

“A police officer, whether wearing uniform or not, they are still an officer. And there are no rules that excuse officers in plain clothes from committing a crime or killing people. The same law that upholds police in uniform is the same that those in plain clothes should abide by,” said Murkomen.

Adding that any officer found to have used excessive force or acted outside the law will be held accountable.

Murkomen’s remarks come amid public outrage over police conduct during the recent anti-government protests, which have left at least 42 people dead and hundreds injured.

“In this chaos, 42 Kenyans regrettably lost their lives, and close to 600 were injured. Out of these injuries, 496 were law enforcement officers.”

1,500 people have also been arrested across the country and are facing a range of charges, including terrorism, murder, robbery with violence, sexual assault, arson, malicious property damage, and targeted attacks on infrastructure.

Additionally, fifty suspects are under investigation by the Serious Crimes Investigations Unit, while 71 cases have been taken up by the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit over alleged links to terrorism, all linked to the June 25th and 7th protests.