‘Nobody has moral authority to ask anyone to resign,’ Moses Kuria speaks on calls to remove IG Kanja

Speaking on Citizen TV’s JKLive Show on Wednesday night, the former Cabinet Secretary described the situation as "moral decay," emphasizing that both citizens and the government are responsible for the recent surge in kidnappings over the past two months. 

While acknowledging the government’s role in addressing the crisis, Kuria appeared to shift accountability, stating that societal behaviours and values are equally at fault.

Asked on whether the current Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja should step down for failing to protect Kenyans and snubbing court summons, Kuria maintained that Kenyans should not be quick to point fingers.

He questioned the criticism directed at the government, especially his boss, President Ruto, implying that online users who were sustaining verbal attacks on their leaders should also share in the blame for provoking the government.

“It is true that he (IG) needs to ensure abductions are stopped but should we resign as Kenyans cause we are all guilty? When I watch my children do the things happening on social media, do I resign as a parent?” Kuria stated.

“It is so easy to point fingers; the kind of moral erosion, the kind of degradation of our values that we are seeing is so pervasive that nobody has the moral authority to ask anybody to resign. Because we all need to resign as parents, citizens and as religious people.”

Kuria downplayed the impact of the IG’s resignation, understating that even if the police boss quits, there was no guarantee that the ongoing online attacks would cease.

“I like the court ruling that came today; suppose the IG resigns, would those kinds of things we find in social media stop? Before you blame the IG, let us look at things on the two sides of the law,” he said.

In his response, Kuria went biblical stating, “We need to have a national dialogue for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

Using the religious teachings, he drew parallels on the story of Biblical John the Baptist arguing that although Herod’s daughter asked for the head of John leading to his beheading, it did not outrightly mean that the latter was guilty of any crime. In the same way, he reiterated that citizens should strive to be fair in holding leaders and civilians to account.

The High Court in Nairobi has found former Police Inspector General (IG) Japhet Koome liable for remarks made on April 14, 2024, in which he ordered law enforcement officers to respond firmly and decisively to striking and picketing medics.

Likewise, in a different hearing Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen, Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and IG Kanja snubbed court summons on Wednesday to answer to the recently witnessed abductions in the nation.

The four were expected to appear before the High Court to elucidate the circumstances behind the disappearances of six youths in December who have since been reunited with their families.