NAIROBI, Kenya – Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced that the government will establish police posts near selected universities and colleges to curb rising insecurity and drug abuse within and around institutions of higher learning.
Speaking during a security forum, Murkomen said the move is aimed at protecting students, many of whom have increasingly become victims of violent crime, drug trafficking, and substance abuse.
“Many things are happening in our universities—drugs, insecurity, violence, with people being beaten inside,” Murkomen said. “We have agreed to set up police posts near some colleges and universities because they had been neglected for too long.”
The CS added that student leaders and deans of students will now take part in sub-county security committee meetings to give input on emerging safety concerns and strengthen collaboration between campuses and security agencies.
Murkomen noted that universities often introduce large new populations into local communities, creating pressure points that criminal networks have exploited. The planned posts will therefore serve both as deterrent and rapid-response centers.
The initiative comes against the backdrop of a February 2024 study by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), which revealed alarming levels of substance use among students.
The report found that 46 percent of university students had abused at least one drug or substance, while 26.6 percent were active users.
Alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, khat, methamphetamine and codeine syrup were among the most commonly abused.
Murkomen said the government views the rise of drug use and related violence in universities as a serious threat to public safety.
“We want students to have a direct relationship with the security teams so they can contribute to solutions,” he said.
The police posts are part of a wider crackdown on crime hotspots and illicit drugs across the country, with the government vowing not to leave learning institutions behind.
