The government has shifted the blame for the chaos at opposition rallies. In a startling admission, Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen claimed that the teargas canisters disrupting political gatherings are being deployed by "civilians" in collusion with rogue officers, rather than by the police command itself.

Speaking from a security briefing in Laikipia, Murkomen attempted to absolve the National Police Service of institutional responsibility. He painted a picture of a compromised supply chain where police-issue riot control equipment is being leaked to political goons. This narrative conveniently shifts the focus from state repression to criminal infiltration, suggesting that the "wrong people" are now armed with state weaponry.

The Rogue Element Theory

The CS’s statement raises more questions than answers. If civilians possess teargas, it implies a catastrophic failure of armory accountability. Murkomen’s assertion that investigations are underway to find the "suppliers" suggests a deep rot within the force, where officers are potentially acting as mercenaries for political factions.

• The Denial: "I can tell you for sure it is not police officers using those teargas," Murkomen insisted, contradicting eyewitness accounts of uniformed personnel at the scenes.
• The implication: This theory effectively admits that the state has lost control of its own non-lethal arsenal, posing a severe threat to public safety.
• The Laikipia Context: While addressing banditry in the north, the CS used the platform to address national politics, linking the lawlessness of cattle rustlers with the "lawlessness" of political saboteurs.

A Crisis of Credibility

"We will find them, and we will punish them," Murkomen vowed. "The police service cannot be hijacked by criminals."

However, for the opposition members choking in the smoke, the distinction between a "rogue officer" and a "deployed officer" is meaningless. The result is the same: the suppression of assembly. Murkomen’s defense may be politically expedient, but it exposes a terrifying reality where the state’s monopoly on violence is being subcontracted to the highest bidder.