NAIROBI, Kenya — Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has warned police recruits to prepare for a surge in organised gang activity, cautioning that some of the groups are allegedly linked to political actors and pose a growing national security threat.
Speaking during a visit to the National Police College Embakasi A Campus and National Police College Embakasi B Campus on Wednesday, Murkomen said the evolving nature of crime demands a higher level of professionalism and readiness among officers.
“We have also witnessed recently a growing challenge that we are facing, and that is the growth of goons and gangs across the country,” he told trainees.
“These goons and gangs are… citizens who are expected to provide leadership… but unfortunately, they are becoming a threat to national security.”
His remarks come amid mounting concern from civil society groups, religious leaders, and opposition figures over what they describe as the resurgence of organised gangs used to disrupt political activities, barricade roads, and intimidate perceived opponents.
Murkomen urged recruits to take personal responsibility in confronting both conventional crime and emerging threats, including politically instigated violence.
“It is expected of you that when you get out of here, you have the capacity, the training, to protect the people of Kenya from such kind of criminal activities,” he said.
He emphasised that discipline and adherence to constitutional values would be central to effective policing, pointing to integrity as a foundational principle.
“The training you are being given requires you to become a more disciplined police officer, and discipline starts… from you,” he added.
The Cabinet Secretary also highlighted broader security challenges facing the country, including theft, robbery, land disputes, community conflicts, and sexual and gender-based violence, noting that police training must adapt to address these overlapping risks.
In a statement issued after the visit, Murkomen said the government is scaling up investment in police training and infrastructure as part of a wider modernisation agenda.
“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.
The Embakasi campuses form a core part of this programme, with ongoing upgrades aimed at improving both training quality and living conditions for recruits.
At the ‘A’ Campus, Murkomen inspected the construction of a 780-bed capacity barracks intended to ease accommodation shortages and create a more conducive learning environment.
He 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 senior college officials.
