Kipchumba Murkomen, the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, has challenged young people in Kenya who are sharing AI-generated images of leaders in coffins to keep doing it.
He spoke on Saturday, January 11, 2025, in Baringo County and said his ministry will not let a few people act badly online. He warned young people that if they misuse social media, there will be serious consequences.
Murkomen stressed that the law has enough rules to punish those who spread harmful images, especially about judges, church leaders, and politicians. He said, “We will not put up with this anymore. The country needs to follow the law.”
He assured Kenyans that his actions are not political but are about keeping the law, no matter who is being accused. He made it clear that the government will not be scared into silence.
“No one can intimidate us. I am not in politics anymore – what matters is following the law, and from now on, you will see a Murkomen focused on the law,” he said.
Murkomen mentioned that his ministry, along with security agencies, will make sure that young people who share these images are held responsible.
“Let us take you to court, so that the judge can decide if it’s okay to post pictures of judges, church leaders, and political figures in such a disrespectful way,” he said.
Additionally, Murkomen denied claims that security agencies are involved in the abduction of social media users in the country. He stated that the government operates within the law and dismissed accusations linking the police to the abduction of people who criticize President Ruto’s government.
“The Government of Kenya does not abduct anyone; we arrest and charge criminals. We promise to follow the law, but we will be very firm about it,” he said.
Murkomen repeated comments he made the day before. On Friday, January 10, in Uasin Gishu County, where he was with President William Ruto for a development tour, he said social media should not be used to threaten others.
“I want to ask every parent, church leader, and politician who defends this bad behaviour: If your child goes to school and another student puts their photo in a coffin’s picture, don’t you think that is a threat? It’s like saying, ‘I will kill you,’” he stated.
Murkomen promised that his ministry will take action against those who threaten others on social media.
“If we don’t act, we won’t have a country. We want to restore order in our nation,” he said. “We want the church and politicians to support our president in restoring order.”
Murkomen made these statements as Ruto criticized Kenyans who share images of high-ranking government officials in coffins.
The President accused some politicians of paying young people to damage the reputation of government officials through these posts.
He warned that this kind of disrespect could lead to serious problems, fostering a culture of violence and diminishing the value of human life.
On the other hand, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah warned those who support such actions.
He said that some leaders are paying young people to insult the government on social media, and he plans to address this issue.
Ichung’wah threatened to start impeachment proceedings against tribal leaders who created division in the country.
He also spoke about the recent claims of abductions of social media users and said that young people are acting inappropriately by misusing their freedom of expression.
Ichung’wah urged young people to show respect, even if they don’t like him or other leaders. “Remember that leaders have families too,” he advised.
Furthermore, Ichung’wah called on security officers to use the law to catch online bullies and take them to court according to the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act of 2018.
He said that arresting those who break this law would help stop online bullying in Kenya. “I challenge the DCI (Directorate of Criminal Investigations), if people have done wrong with computers, arrest them and make it known, so it deters those who insult and act badly online,” he said.
