Mother to Brian Odhiambo confronts CS

 

Interior Cabinet Secretary  Kipchumba Murkomen was yesterday forced to cut short his speech following an interruption by the mother of missing fisherman Brian Odhiambo.

Odhiambo’s mother, Elizabeth Auma was among the locals who had gathered at the Shabaab grounds in Nakuru during the launch of the mobile registration drive of the National Identity card presided over by Murkomen.

Donned in a t-shirt with writing 'Justice for my son', Auma did all she could to reach the CS despite efforts by the security personnel to block her.

Murkomen also intervened and asked the security personnel to allow Auma to reach him at the podium promising to have her issue addressed. It is after a short talk that Auma was ushered into a tent where government officials were.“Allow her to come, I feel for her and after this, I will talk to her, her issue will be addressed,” said Murkomen.Murkomen assured Auma that the government is in solidarity with the family and will do all it can to hold KWS officers into account until they reveal the whereabouts of her son.The officers according to Murkomen should have apprehended Odhiambo and presented him before a court of law.“As a government, we will not allow such a situation where a Kenyan goes missing without being accounted for. That is not why government is in place, government is in place to ensure lives are protected,” he said.On Monday Directorate of Criminal Investigations officers, Kenya Police, human rights activists, and journalists alongside Odhiambo’s grieving family entered the Lake Nakuru National Park in a search mission.The search at the lake followed a claim by a whistle-blower that he had information on where the Odhiambo’s body was dumped.Odhiambo disappeared on January 18, 2025, under circumstances that security officers at the park cannot explain.Murkomen noted that the government is very concerned about the issue of insecurity in Nakuru and added that they have held meetings with the President.He noted that the issues around Lake Nakuru are wanting and must be addressed.The CS said a few officers within the Kenya Wildlife Services are engaged in illegal fishing in the lake and using their powers to fight locals.The officers he noted have exposed the people to danger for allowing fishing despite the revelation that the fish from the lake is harmful for human consumption.“Instead of preventing the people from fishing, the officers are now competing with the locals fighting them and protecting their illegal businesses,” he said. The CS said detectives are almost done with their investigations and the KWS officers involved will be arrested and charged and dismissed.Murkomen noted that the launch of the mobile registration services is meant to bring services close to the people.“More mobile outreaches are still in the pipeline. Our ministry is committed to expanding the availability of identity enrolment to Kenyans,” he said.He said the issuance of IDs should not be politicised.The CS also gazetted the removal of Sh300 for new ID applicants.