Murkomen on viral AI images: ‘We will charge Kenyans using social media to threaten leaders’

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has threatened action against Kenyans using social media to troll political leaders and criticise the government.

The CS, who spoke on Friday in Uasin Gishu while in the company of President William Ruto, referred to the Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated images which have become a playground for online users opposed to the government.

Murkomen cited the recent viral online display of President Ruto in a coffin, reiterating that the AI use was a threat to security and people’s lives.

He slammed church leaders and parents for what he said was condoning the culture, saying his ministry would move to curb the act and restore order among the young generation.

“There are those making those pictures with our leaders in coffins; I want to ask every parent, particularly church leaders, to defend this bad behaviour. If your child goes to school and another child whom they share the same class sends a picture when your child has been put in a coffin, will you still defend that behaviour?” Murkomen posed.

“Because when that message is sent to your child, the erred child is threatening your child that I will kill you and we are here clapping for behaviours that have been perpetuated for a long time.”

He added: “We’re going to relook at this behaviour and we will make sure we charge all of those who are using this social media to threaten others because if we don’t do so, we will not have an orderly country; we must bring order to our country because we want Kenyans to live in a country of order.”

President Ruto echoed Murkomen’s sentiments as he condemned political leaders and parents for tolerating online abuses against government officials as well as allegedly inciting the youth.

Ruto called for sobriety in society, warning that the culture risks creating a future nation of bad moral standing and criminals who may even start killing people.

“Those using the internet to abuse others, and do bad things, I’m telling the parents and all of us to let us help the youth so that they are not used to doing useless things, or abuse. Others are putting others in coffins,” he said.

“Today you are putting politicians, tomorrow it will be church leaders, then your parents and your brothers, then you will become criminals and start killing people in Kenya.”

The President added: “I want to tell leaders not to encourage our young people to do the wrong things and acquire bad morals. They will become dangerous in the end and become a danger to others and themselves.”