Murkomen’s Gag Order? Interior CS Is Using the Secrets Act to Silence Gachagua and Muturi

A fresh storm is brewing in Kenya’s political landscape, and at its center is Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen.

He has invoked the rarely used Official Secrets Act, a move widely seen as an attempt to silence Gachagua and Muturi, two of the Kenya Kwanza administration’s most vocal critics.

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and former Attorney General-turned-Public Service CS Justin Muturi have increasingly spoken out against alleged corruption and human rights abuses under President William Ruto’s government.

Now, Murkomen’s stern warning signals a deepening crackdown on whistleblowers within government ranks.

Former DP Gachagua has taken a firm stand against what he calls the “capture of state institutions” by a shadowy elite. He has also accused the Ruto administration of orchestrating politically motivated arrests and ignoring the rule of law. [Photo: Courtesy]

Murkomen Wields the Secrets Act Against Dissent

Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen shocked lawmakers and the public alike when he told the National Assembly’s Administration and Internal Affairs Committee that government officials who leak classified information would face severe consequences under the Official Secrets Act.

Murkomen’s comments were not made in a vacuum. They came after Saku MP Dida Rasso raised concerns over recent disclosures made by Gachagua and Muturi.

These disclosures include explosive claims ranging from enforced disappearances to coercive diplomacy and mega-corruption deals allegedly backed by top government figures. Murkomen reminded Parliament that all public officers take an oath of secrecy.

“There are those who are older but do not abide by the Act,” he said in a thinly veiled jab at Muturi and Gachagua. “There are attendant consequences to this.” He insisted that leaking classified information reflects poorly on any person entrusted with public office.

He cited Section 3 and Section 20 of the Official Secrets Act, which provides for up to 14 years in prison for unauthorized disclosure of government information.

These remarks sparked immediate backlash from legal experts and Muturi himself, who argued that the move contravenes constitutional freedoms.

Yet, Murkomen stood his ground, arguing that trust and confidentiality are key to public service, and those who break this trust deserve punishment.

The CS appears determined to use Gachagua and Muturi—once key figures in the ruling Kenya Kwanza alliance but now seen as threats to Ruto’s inner circle—as examples.

Muturi and Gachagua: From Power Brokers to Government Critics

Justin Muturi and Rigathi Gachagua were once close allies of President Ruto. Today, they are among his loudest critics. Their fall from grace appears to coincide with their refusal to remain silent about the inner workings of government.

Muturi, who previously served as the Attorney General and Public Service Cabinet Secretary, has accused the National Intelligence Service (NIS) of abducting his son. He said his son was held incommunicado without charge—an act he labelled “state-sanctioned terrorism.”

He also revealed that President Ruto forced him to sign a multi-billion-shilling tree-planting deal with the Russian government while at a foreign airport, raising serious questions about transparency and accountability.

On his part, Gachagua has taken a firm stand against what he calls the “capture of state institutions” by a shadowy elite. He has also accused the Ruto administration of orchestrating politically motivated arrests and ignoring the rule of law.

By targeting these two figures, Murkomen appears to be enforcing political discipline within the ruling alliance.

Justin Muturi [Photo: Courtesy]

Critics Warn of a Return to Authoritarianism

The decision to lean on the Official Secrets Act—a law dating back to colonial-era Kenya—has alarmed many civil society groups and legal experts.

Lawyers David Ochami and Anthony Musau have strongly condemned the tactic, arguing that it undermines the 2010 Constitution’s guarantees of freedom of expression and the right to access information.

“The law is being misused to silence dissent and punish transparency,” said Musau. “We are witnessing the shrinking of democratic space, right before our eyes.”

The Constitution, they argue, protects whistleblowers who expose corruption, abuse of power, or gross misconduct.

By invoking a 14-year prison sentence for disclosing public interest information, Murkomen is not protecting state secrets—he is protecting those in power.

Muturi himself has been defiant, telling reporters, “I will not be intimidated. I served this country with integrity, and I will not allow threats to silence the truth.”

Gachagua, too, has remained outspoken, recently dropping a string of damning allegations against the Ruto administration during a night interview that stirred political debate across the country.