Murkomen-Natembeya rivalry deepens over border voter registration

What began as a dispute over voter registration along the Kenya-Uganda border has developed into a bitter political confrontation between Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, drawing in President William Ruto and Uganda’s government.

Natembeya’s stance has also drawn in senior government officials in Uganda, who have warned their nationals against registering as Kenyan citizens. Sources in eastern Uganda told The Standard in May this year that Kenyan registration officers had moved into the area a month earlier to register voters.

“I have spoken to the Regional District Commissioner (RDC) in Uganda about the illegal mass registration that has been going on in Bukwo and Kapchorua and he promised to take action against those involved,” Natembeya said last month.

A video clip subsequently went viral showing the RDC warning Ugandans against registering as Kenyan voters. He also warned that those found using illegal routes, commonly known as panya routes, to cross the border would be severely punished.

Ugandans interviewed had earlier indicated that some Kenyan officers carrying “Live Capture Machines” had visited markets and other areas with electricity connections to issue identity cards and voter registration cards. Politician and former Students Organisation of Nairobi University (SONU) leader Wafula Buke also visited Uganda and uncovered what he described as widespread registration of Ugandans.

At the centre of the dispute between  Natembeya and Murkomen is a contentious question: who qualifies to obtain Kenyan identity cards and participate in the 2027 General Election?

For Natembeya, the issue concerns national sovereignty, employment opportunities and the integrity of the voters’ register. For Murkomen, it concerns the rights of eligible Kenyan citizens living across the border and what he considers the governor’s attempt to restrict their access to identification.

Their disagreement has since expanded into accusations over development projects, personal security and the future leadership of Trans Nzoia. Yet the identity-card controversy remains the thread connecting the various confrontations.

The IDs that ignited the dispute

Natembeya has repeatedly opposed what he considers insufficient scrutiny in the issuance of Kenyan identity documents to people living along the Uganda border.

“The president suspended the vetting process and I was against it. It’s because in the borders if you don’t do vetting you won’t know who is from Kenya because our society shares borders,” he said.

He subsequently alleged that the process could influence his political fortunes.

“They have targeted me and they aim to bring 100,000 votes to ensure I fail,” Natembeya added. The claim transformed the disagreement from an administrative concern into an allegation about the possible manipulation of the 2027 election.

The governor has promised to reverse the policy if his political side takes power. “When our new government is sworn in we will scrap off the idea of giving IDs without vetting,” he declared.

His warnings have also targeted people living in Uganda whom he believes could obtain Kenyan documents and return to influence elections.

“People of Entebbes, prepare well. These games of Ugandan people coming to take Kenyan Id must stop. Because even if they will register as voter, they will not step foot here. You can't give us stupid leaders and go back to Uganda,” he said.

On another occasion, he warned parents against allowing their children to cross into Kenya to acquire identity documents. “If you are a parent in Uganda and you allow your child to come to Kenya, there is a possibility that they might not return,” Natembeya said.

He also threatened to monitor the border personally during the election. “I will be patrolling this place personally on the election day,” he declared.

Referring to an alleged agreement with Ugandan authorities on the use of the Swam border crossing, he warned: “On the election day if we find you loitering towards this side and you have not used the defined border point, you will regret it.”

His position has placed electoral integrity at the centre of the rivalry. The distinction between eligible Kenyan citizens and foreign nationals is crucial: cross-border family ties do not automatically confer citizenship, while residence in Uganda does not automatically make someone ineligible for Kenyan identification.

Murkomen’s counterattack

Murkomen has challenged Natembeya’s position, arguing that communities on either side of the border share longstanding cultural and family relationships that should not become grounds for restricting legitimate movement.

During a fundraising event at Amanang Senior Secondary School in Bukwo, Uganda, the Interior Cabinet Secretary directly attacked the governor.

“There is a leader there in Kenya who was struggling with people from this region, wondering why they keep coming home. Tell him to forget about these people because even the Interior Cabinet Secretary of Kenya his cousins are Ugandan,” Murkomen said.

He insisted that people crossing the border had legitimate reasons to do so. “We know that there are people from Kenya who come to work in Bukwo. All of them have right to cross from one border to another,” he said.

Murkomen went further, telling the audience: “If you are Kenyan, you can cross here and get your IDs very easily.”

The statement exposed the central disagreement. Natembeya wants stricter vetting to prevent unlawful registration, while Murkomen maintains that eligible Kenyans should not be treated as foreigners because they live or work across the border.

Although the event was presented as a fundraising occasion, attendees waved two-term signs, giving the gathering an unmistakable political undertone.

Murkomen later invoked the Constitution and the shared identity of the Sabaot community.

“Our constitution has dual citizenship. Our Sabaots in Trans Nzoia and those in Uganda are the same people. They are no aware of the border, this border was just erected by someone,” he said.

He then questioned Natembeya’s authority to warn people against crossing into Kenya.

“You are warning them from coming to vote. Who do you think you are? At least I can say that I am the Interior Cabinet Secretary. Who do you think you are?” Murkomen asked.

Kenya permits dual citizenship under its Constitution, but citizenship in two countries does not automatically confer the right to vote in both. Each country’s electoral laws determine eligibility.

The real question, therefore, is whether identification and registration procedures are being applied lawfully and consistently.

Uganda enters the controversy

The dispute acquired a regional dimension on October 7, when Uganda’s First Deputy Prime Minister, Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, announced measures intended to prevent Ugandan citizens from participating in Kenya’s electoral affairs.

Addressing the media in Kampala, Kadaga said security agencies and local leaders in eight border districts had been directed to monitor the situation.

“As a country, we respect the sovereignty of Kenya, and we also expect to respect our sovereignty and the democratic processes going on in each country,” she said. “We therefore distance ourselves from any conduct that has been undertaken by individuals outside the law.”

Kadaga said Uganda was ready to cooperate with Kenya through diplomatic, immigration, security and electoral channels to establish the facts.

Uganda’s intervention added a regional dimension to Natembeya’s allegations and demonstrated that the dispute had moved beyond local political exchanges. However, the announcement does not, on its own, establish that unlawful voter registration has taken place.

Development becomes political ammunition

Days after Uganda’s warning, Ruto’s tour of Trans Nzoia provided another stage for the rivalry.

Murkomen launched a fresh attack on Natembeya, accusing the governor of frustrating development projects and appealing to the President to intervene.

During Mazingira Day, Murkomen accused Natembeya of frustrating plans to construct a hospital and upgrade Kitale Stadium. He appealed directly to the President to intervene, invoking the Shakahola tragedy.

“Mr. President, should this governor, a single individual be allowed to block people, leading to deaths like those in Shakahola? Or should we deal with this governor ourselves, so that you can go ahead and build that hospital?” Murkomen said.

He continued: “And if you issue an order, Mr. President, since this person lacks the capacity, we will close that site down and build a hospital so that things can move forward.”

The language raised the temperature considerably. A disagreement over development projects was being framed as a question of whether one governor could obstruct the national government’s agenda.

Murkomen then made his political intentions explicit.

“I want to give you an assurance and I speak as a resident of Trans Nzoia that next year we will provide you with a governor who will work with you,” he said.

The statement signalled that Natembeya’s re-election prospects had become part of the confrontation. Murkomen was openly advocating a change of governor in 2027, portraying cooperation with Ruto’s administration as necessary for development.

During a subsequent tour of Kiminini, Murkomen intensified his criticism, accusing Natembeya of mismanaging county resources and failing in healthcare and security.

“There is a leader here who loves insults. Your Excellency, in this county, the governor puts money in other things, he puts money only in the coffin yet he is the one who owns the business of selling the coffins,” Murkomen said.

He also challenged Natembeya’s description of himself as a commando.

“He says he is the commando. Who is he commanding? He was loitering around here and lied to us he was fighting the bandits yet he could not manage. He is now here and also can’t manage the hospitals,” he said.

Murkomen concluded with another direct appeal for political change.

“Next year we must change the governor so that we can change Trans Nzoia,” he declared.

The repeated calls to replace Natembeya suggest that the rivalry has evolved beyond disagreements over identification and development. It has become an open contest over who should govern Trans Nzoia after the next election.

Security adds another dimension

The confrontation escalated further when reports emerged that security officers assigned to Natembeya had been withdrawn.

The governor demanded an explanation, insisting that any decision affecting his protection must comply with the law.

“Any decision affecting my security must therefore comply with the applicable constitutional and legal requirements,” he said.

He added: “I am particularly concerned that this is happening for the second time. I therefore call upon the Inspector-General of the National Police Service to provide a formal explanation of the reasons for this decision and to clarify whether the applicable security procedures have been followed.”

Murkomen defended the security position while speaking in Elgeyo-Marakwet County during Ruto’s regional tour.

“Political goonism must be finished. There are politicians who are enjoying the security provided by the government. They have police officers but still plan violence,” he said.

He specifically referred to Natembeya.

“We have a governor here in neighbouring Trans Nzoia, who hangs around with goons and plans chaos,” Murkomen said.

“He wants to have police officers and at the same time he is planning violence. We will not allow any politician to use government offices and government security to plan violence,” he added.

The reported withdrawal of the governor’s security has nevertheless introduced a new concern: whether decisions involving the protection of elected leaders can remain separate from political disagreements.

Earlier, in October, Dr Robert Pukose had also issued a threatening warning against attempts to stop Ugandans from crossing the border.

“Do you know whose government it is? Don’t accept to be used. You’re being told to go to guard the border. You’ll find yourself in river Swam and your head down the stream,” Pukose said.

His remarks added to the threatening tone surrounding the controversy. They also raised questions about whether the dispute over voter registration was becoming entangled with broader political interests.

The battle ahead

The Murkomen-Natembeya rivalry now encompasses identity cards, electoral integrity, development, security and the contest for Trans Nzoia’s governorship.

The IDs remain central because they concern the foundation of electoral democracy. If eligible Kenyans are unfairly denied identification, their rights are threatened. If foreign nationals are unlawfully issued documents or registered to vote, the integrity of the election is equally at stake.

Natembeya has presented himself as a defender of electoral integrity, while Murkomen has portrayed the governor as an obstacle to development and cooperation with the national government. Their exchanges suggest that the 2027 contest is already shaping their public confrontations.

Ultimately, neither leader can settle the dispute through accusations alone. The relevant institutions must establish whether unlawful registration has occurred, ensure eligible citizens can obtain identification and explain decisions affecting security arrangements.

The question confronting Trans Nzoia is no longer simply who gets a Kenyan ID. It is whether that question can be resolved through the law or whether it will remain ammunition in an increasingly bitter battle for political power.