Reuben Kigame Seeks Prosecution of Murkomen, Top Security Chiefs Over Gen Z Protest Deaths

 

By Ruth Sang

Renowned gospel singer and activist Reuben Kigame has filed a landmark petition in the High Court, seeking the private prosecution of several high-ranking government and security officials over what he describes as state-sanctioned violence during the recent Gen Z-led anti-government protests.

Through Gitobu Imanyara & Company Advocates, Kigame is pursuing legal action against Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome, and other senior security chiefs. The petition accuses them of direct responsibility for killings, torture, abductions, and enforced disappearances that allegedly occurred during the nationwide protests in June and July 2025.

The demonstrations, spearheaded by Kenya’s Gen Z youth, erupted in fierce opposition to the controversial Finance Bill 2025, and rapidly evolved into a broader movement demanding accountability over corruption, a soaring cost of living, and poor governance. Human rights organizations report that over 60 people were killed during the protests, with scores more injured or unaccounted for.

Kigame argues that the violent crackdown on demonstrators represents "gross violations of human rights" carried out by security agencies under the command of the accused officials. He claims that despite widespread public outrage and clear evidence of abuse, the state has remained inert—prompting the need for private prosecutions.

“This is a matter of justice. Lives were lost, and no one is being held accountable. We cannot let this go unpunished,” Kigame said in a public statement on Thursday.

The protests, which gripped major urban centers including Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa, and Eldoret, were met with forceful police resistance. Eyewitnesses and video evidence documented the use of live ammunition, tear gas, and arbitrary arrests in dispersing largely peaceful crowds. In several instances, armed groups—believed to be politically sponsored—attacked protesters, raising fears of growing impunity and state complicity.

In one harrowing account that has since gone viral, two childhood friends—one a protester and the other allegedly paid to disrupt demonstrations—were both severely injured during a chaotic altercation, highlighting the deepening social divide and desperation gripping many Kenyan families.

Kigame’s petition further claims the state not only failed in its duty to protect citizens but also actively enabled political violence. "The government cannot wash its hands when security forces and politically-aligned goons unleash terror on unarmed youth exercising their democratic rights," the petition reads.

The High Court is expected to review the admissibility of the petition in the coming weeks, determining whether Kigame will be granted the legal grounds to proceed with private prosecutions—an unusual but not unprecedented legal route in Kenya's justice system.

If allowed, the case could mark a significant turning point in the accountability of state actors for protest-related violence and potentially set legal precedents in the protection of civil liberties in Kenya.

The Office of the Inspector General and Cabinet Secretary Murkomen had not responded to requests for comment by the time of publication.