What You Need to Know
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has urged police recruits to take a strong stance against the rising threat of organized gangs in Kenya. During his visit to the National Police College, he emphasized the need for professionalism and discipline in addressing both conventional crime and politically motivated violence, highlighting the importance of constitutional values in their future
Africa-Press – Kenya. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has challenged police recruits to take a firm stand against the rising threat of organised gangs, warning over what he described as a troubling surge in goonism reportedly linked to political actors.
Murkomen made the remarks on Wednesday during a visit to the National Police College Embakasi A Campus and National Police College Embakasi B Campus, where he assessed the progress of recruit training and ongoing capacity-building programmes for serving officers.
His comments come against the backdrop of growing concern over goonism in the country, which has increasingly been reported as a tool for political intimidation.
Civil society groups, religious leaders and opposition figures have raised alarm over what they describe as the resurgence of organised, hired gangs said to be used to break up political gatherings, barricade roads, and intimidate perceived opponents.
Addressing trainees, Murkomen said the evolving nature of crime now demands a new level of preparedness, singling out the rise of gangs as a pressing national security concern.
“The other challenges that affect our country, issues of theft, robbery, land conflicts, community conflicts, we have issues of sexual and gender violence. All these issues that we have in the country require you to be trained properly,” he said.
“We have also witnessed recently a growing challenge that we are facing, and that is the growth of goons and gangs across the country. I’m sorry to say that these goons and gangs are some of your seniors, that is, citizens in this country, who are expected to provide leadership either as aspiring leaders or those who are holding office, but unfortunately, they are becoming a threat to national security.”
He told the recruits that the responsibility to confront such threats would soon rest squarely on their shoulders.
“It is expected of you that when you get out of here, you have the capacity, the training, to be able to protect the people of Kenya from such kind of criminal activities,” he said.
Murkomen emphasised that professionalism and discipline would be critical in confronting both conventional crime and politically instigated violence, urging recruits to internalise constitutional values during their training.
“Therefore, what are the key values that will enable you to do so? First of all is the constitutional value of integrity. The training you are being given requires you to become a more disciplined police officer, and discipline starts not from others; it starts from you,” he said.
He added that recruits must recognise the expectations placed on them by their families and communities, noting that many had joined the service as “an answered prayer” and must uphold that trust through personal discipline and service to the nation.
In a statement issued after the visit, Murkomen said the government is investing heavily in training and infrastructure to strengthen the police service and enhance its ability to respond to emerging security threats.
“The training our police recruits undergo has been carefully designed to equip them with the necessary knowledge, skills and mindset to safeguard peace and protect lives and property,” he said.
He said the Embakasi campuses are central to the government’s broader police modernisation programme, which includes continuous training for officers and the upgrading of regional colleges and centres of excellence.
At Embakasi ‘A’ Campus, the CS inspected the ongoing construction of a 780-bed capacity barracks aimed at improving accommodation for trainees, as part of efforts to create a more conducive learning environment.
The CS was accompanied by Inspector General Douglas Kanja, Deputy Inspector General – Kenya Police Service – Eliud Lagat, Deputy Inspector General – Administration Police Service – Gilbert Masengeli, General Service Unit Commandant Ranson Lolmodooni, and campus commandants Isaac Alimaa and William Samoei, among other senior officers.
Kenya has faced challenges with organized crime and political violence, particularly during election periods. The rise of gangs has been linked to political actors using intimidation tactics to suppress opposition and disrupt political gatherings. This trend has raised concerns among civil society and political leaders about the implications for national security and democratic processes. The government has responded by investing in police training and modernization to better equip law enforcement in tackling these issues.
