Murkomen: Government to streamline command structure of police reservists, improve pay

The Ministry of Interior will standardise the operations of the National Police Reservists (NPR) to streamline their command structure, discipline and training, to make them more accountable for the actions that occur within their deployment areas.

This was revealed last night by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen during an interview with various media houses in Mombasa County as he commenced his week-long tour of the region to assess security and related programmes across the county.

He noted that the policy framework on the command structure is nearly complete. It will see the NPR also receive better pay, insurance cover, amongst other benefits that they currently miss out on despite their key roles in instilling governance in some insecurity-prone areas in the country such as the North Rift region where they complement efforts of the National Police Service and the Kenya Defence Forces deployed under Operation Maliza Uhalifu.

"I agree the stipend we pay to the National Police Reservists is a little low, but we are trying to see how to improve it because the work they do is a lot. Most live in their homes amongst communities, but those deployed in operational zones reside in set-up camps. But because they are not under the same payroll as the police, you will notice a difference in the two," he said.

At the moment, over 600 National Police Reservists have been deployed within Baringo North, Baringo South, Tiaty East, and Tiaty West to ensure a sustained state of calm.

These reservists, being from local communities and known to their neighbours, assist the police in enforcing laws, recovering stolen livestock and accessing areas that are otherwise unreachable by the police.

"The way the community perceives the national police officers is different from how they view the NPR, their local kinsmen. If you want to arrest someone, you will be more respected in the company of an NPR," an officer in the region noted recently.

Haiti mission

On Haiti, the CS refuted claims that more Kenyan officers have fallen victim to gang violence in the country other than the one who has been buried.

He maintained that two others are nursing injuries at a Port-au-Prince hospital, and another is still missing, and that no additional information about the status of over 700 police officers in Haiti is currently hidden from the public and the officers' families.

"There has been a resurgence of gun activities in recent times, heightened by political unrest in the country. As a result, numerous strategies and efforts are being implemented to ensure the safety of our officers as they work to restore law and order in Haiti," Murkomen said.

Shakahola massacre

Regarding the Shakahola massacre, the CS said he has visited the Government Chemist, where 66 DNA samples have already been matched with their families’ samples, while over 300 others remain unmatched, as no one has come forward to provide their samples.

"Let me take this opportunity to urge Kenyans who believe they may have lost loved ones in the massacre to come forward and have their samples tested against the remaining unidentified ones so that we can resolve this issue regarding Shakahola," he said.

Murkomen also proposed the establishment of a memorial site for the victims of the massacre at the mass grave site, where unmatched remains will be interred.

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• National
• Kipchumba Murkomen
• Operation Maliza Uhalifu
• National Police Reservists
• Interior Cabinet Secretary
• NPR
• Murkomen: Government to streamline command structure of police reservists
• improve pay

During the interview, he further touched on security issues in the coastal region, including the use of criminal gangs like the Panga Boys by politicians, whom he stated will soon be taken to court, challenges related to drug and substance abuse, trafficking and other related issues.