Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen orders constitutional training for all police officers

All police officers, including Officers Commanding Stations (OCSs), will be required to undergo annual training on constitutional standards as part of reforms aimed at restoring discipline and professionalism in the police service.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the training will be part of a continuous professional development programme to instil service excellence across all ranks.

Addressing the media on Monday, Murkomen said the government had directed the establishment of a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) framework targeting all officers, beginning with OCSs, who will be expected to undertake minimum annual training based on a curriculum aligned with constitutional policing standards.

“This marks the first step in restoring professionalism, discipline, and service excellence across all ranks,” said Murkomen.

Murkomen added that the Interior Ministry will work closely with the National Treasury and Parliament to ensure adequate funding for the reforms.

“It is unfortunate that, whenever budget cuts strike, training is often the first casualty,” he said.

To sustain the initiative, he noted that the ministry is forging partnerships with development agencies, public benefit organisations, and other stakeholders.

Murkomen further disclosed that upcoming police recruitment drives will include a new cadre of specialised officers to bring in fresh talent, professionalism, and modern policing standards.

The CS said the implementation, oversight, and monitoring of the reforms would be decentralised to every police station and placed under the direct responsibility of the respective OCS.

“In the command structure of the Police Service, the OCS is the ultimate officer in charge of all the activities related to enforcement of law and order at the police station. All the other superior structures exist for the coordination and command of the National Police Service,” he said.

“It is therefore our intention to implement, monitor and evaluate the aforementioned reforms at the police station. Our intention is to make our police stations centres of excellence.”

Murkomen added that budgetary adjustments would be made in the coming financial years to prioritise the reforms alongside other modernisation strategies. He added that the ministry would continue seeking support from development partners to ensure efficient implementation.

While pushing for greater accountability among officers, the CS also called on the public to uphold their end of the social contract.

“As we relentlessly advocate for appropriate conduct by the police, there must be a reciprocal emphasis on the responsibility of citizens to show respect toward police officers as they discharge their lawful duties,” he said.

He expressed concern over increasing cases of police officers being attacked while on duty.

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“These challenges must not be ignored, and they point to a broader need to foster mutual understanding, accountability, and respect between the police and the public,” he said.

The CS also warned against growing cases of mob justice, acts of banditry, and illegal possession and display of firearms, saying such actions undermine national security and the rule of law.

Murkomen’s remarks come in the wake of fresh claims of misconduct involving a senior police officer. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) told the Milimani Law Courts on Monday that Nairobi Central Police Station OCS Samson Taalam interfered with key evidence in a case concerning the death of Albert Ojwang while in police custody.

The prosecution said Taalam, who oversees station records and CCTV systems, hired a technician to tamper with surveillance footage, an act believed to have been aimed at obstructing justice.

The court also heard that Taalam’s mobile phone has been confiscated and is undergoing forensic analysis.

“There are witnesses, particularly police officers who were on duty on the material day, who are yet to be interviewed and have their statements recorded. Given the respondent’s position as OCS, there is a high likelihood that he will interfere with these potential witnesses,” the prosecution argued.

The State is seeking to have Taalam detained for 21 days to allow the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to complete investigations without interference.