Public views to shape new security policies as nationwide Jukwaa la Usalama forums end
To ensure that civilians are more involved in security, Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen said going forward, student leaders, boda boda leaders, and matatu Sacco leaders will be engaged in subcounty security meetings to be part of the solution providers.
Nairobi's edition of the Jukwaa la Usalama forums held on Thursday, October 2, brought to an end an exercise that began five months ago across the 47 counties, collecting views from Kenyans, National Government Administration Officers (NGAO), and police officers on matters affecting security across the country.
The forum, modelled as an avenue to bridge the gap between security officials and Kenyans, saw Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen traverse the entire country with a team of senior officials, including officers from the National Police Service (NPS), and a secretariat tasked with documenting public views.
The views will now be analysed, with findings and key policy pronouncements set for release at a major launch. Some of the pronouncements will cater to police officers' welfare, chiefs' security, improved mobility for police and NGAO officials, as well as improved security-civilian relations.
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Over the years, the National Police Service has been named in reports as the most corrupt public institution in the country, a challenge that has been hard to find to fight.
On Thursday, Murkomen said the ministry is working on how to introduce sackings for officers found guilty of graft instead of having them transferred.
"From Jukwaa la Usalama, we have to find ways of reporting matters of corruption confidentially and dealing with those who are corrupt. We had agreed with the IG that when someone is caught engaging in graft, they don't get transferred to another place," he said
To address the staggering issue of delayed career progressions at the NPS and NGAO, he said the ministry was working on modalities to see them move ranks through changes in promotional guidelines, introduction of courses that pave the way for promotions, and so forth.
Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen speaking during the 48th Jukwaa la Usalama town hall meeting at the Kenya School of Government, Kabete, on October 2, 2025. (Photo: X/Kipchumba Murkomen)
They include promotion of all officers aged 50 and onwards who are still lagging in the rank of constables.
At the same time, all corporals serving 15 or more years and inspectors who have served for over 10 years will automatically be promoted.
On transfers, Murkomen said they are working on a policy that makes it mandatory for officers to serve not more than three to five years in one station. "All must serve the country equally," he said.
To ensure that civilians are more involved in security, Murkomen said going forward, student leaders, boda boda leaders, and matatu Sacco leaders will be engaged in subcounty security meetings to be part of the solution providers.
"If there is something that Jukwaa la Usalama should achieve, it is that everybody matters. There is no reason why a regional commissioner should not sit down with the governor and plan matters of security, and call a meeting of county enforcement officers and national government officers in the county, and they discuss the security of Nairobi," said Murkomen.
To address the mugging challenge in the Central Business District, he said there will be heightened patrols.
He also proposed that Assistant County Commissioners, chiefs, and assistant chiefs be registered as mediators so that the interventions they make at the grassroots level are binding in a court of law.
Police officers and prison officers will also be considered in the allocation of affordable housing units, with an initial allocation of 17,000 units to police officers and another 25,000 to prison officers.
"We are having a conversation with the housing department so that that is expedited because we have land in Nairobi in at least some of these urban places. As long as it's within a police station, it can help us accommodate more police officers," said Murkomen.
Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen in Murang'a County for the 30th Jukwaa la Usalama grassroots engagement on August 19, 2025. (Photo: X/Kipchumba Murkomen)
Some of the successful recruits from the upcoming police recruitment which seeks to enlist 10,000 Kenyans to the service will be seconded to the newly formed National Government Administration Police Unit (NGAPU) that was launched in January but is yet to be operationalised due to a lack of personnel.
NGAPU is tasked with, among other roles, supporting NGAO in ensuring security during high-risk operations, collaborating with other law enforcement agencies, and assisting in conflict management and peace-building.
Murkomen said he will engage the Ministry of ICT to assist in equipping and setting up offices for Chiefs' secretaries in the country.
Another outcome of the forum was, he said, the need to improve the Public Order Act to include ways to ensure protection of businesses during protests.
Concerning police mobility, other than increasing the monthly fuel allocation from 450 litres to at least 650 litres, Murkomen proposed the introduction of electric vehicles for police officers once the challenge of charging portals has been addressed.
Within the next month, all boda boda riders must be registered in saccos and don specific colours.
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