Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei clashed bitterly on the Senate floor Wednesday, reviving a long-standing rivalry that played out through fiery accusations and personal jabs during a session focused on the murder of social media influencer Albert Ojwang.
The Senate had temporarily suspended regular proceedings to allow Murkomen and top police officials to brief lawmakers on the ongoing investigations into Ojwang’s controversial death. But instead of a routine engagement, the session quickly turned combative, with Senator Cherargei once again taking aim at the CS this time holding him personally accountable.
Cherargei, who has for months demanded Murkomen’s resignation over what he calls deteriorating security and policy failures, accused the Interior Ministry of gross incompetence. He said the CS had shown no leadership on police brutality and claimed that Ojwang’s death exposed deeper problems in the ministry.
“The Interior Ministry is in crisis,” Cherargei said. “The country now understands just how incompetent CS Murkomen is. If someone needs to step down, let it begin with him.”
In a sarcastic tone, the senator urged President William Ruto to consider reassigning Murkomen to the Sports docket, accusing the CS of treating serious matters like a game.
“Does he need 10,000 years to fix anything? He has no concrete policy on police excesses. The president should do a reshuffle—send him back to Sports where he can turn everything into ‘mchezo’,” he quipped.
Murkomen, clearly irked by the remarks, fired back sharply. He dismissed Cherargei’s criticism as politically motivated and deeply personal, rooted more in resentment than in facts.
“Every time I appear before this House, it’s the same script from this senator calling for my resignation,” Murkomen said. “It’s not about accountability. It’s about personal spite.”
The CS went further, turning the exchange into a personal matter by referencing Cherargei’s academic past. He claimed the senator had once been his student and didn’t perform well.
“Let me remind this House Senator Cherargei was my student. I taught him more than two subjects. His performance was below average,” Murkomen said. “He has no basis to question my competence. I’m happy to table his results if needed.”
He accused Cherargei of using the Senate platform to posture politically and rely on talking points “procured from outside sources.”
“If we’re serious about governance, we must also respect the integrity of this chamber. Repeating the same baseless accusations won’t move the country forward,” Murkomen added.
The exchange left the chamber divided and underscored the growing tension within Kenya’s political leadership, especially in the wake of heightened public concern over police conduct and unresolved cases like Ojwang’s.
