NAIROBI, Kenya — Security chiefs from across the country on Monday convened in Nairobi to finalise policing plans for the Christmas and New Year period, as authorities brace for increased travel, public gatherings and heightened security risks.
Deputy Inspector General of the Kenya Police Service (KPS) Eliud Lagat chaired the high-level meeting bringing together regional and formation police commanders, as well as senior directors at police headquarters, to review security operations for 2025 and roll out festive season measures.
At the centre of the discussions were perennial traffic snarl-ups, the spike in road accidents during holidays, organised criminal activity and public safety at crowded entertainment and tourist hotspots.
Lagat said police have already identified major traffic hotspots and deployed additional officers to prevent the congestion and lawlessness that typically characterise the festive season.
“We have mapped out the hotspots and we want to make sure the traffic mess witnessed in the past does not recur,” Lagat said. “This time, we are doing things differently, including the use of mobile courts to deal instantly with offenders.”
DIG KPS HOLDS SECURITY MEETING WITH REGIONAL HEADSMr. Eliud Lagat, held a security meeting with Regional and Formation Police Commanders; and, Directors at KPS headquarters to review the security situation for the year 2025 and prepare for the festive season.
Motorists flouting traffic rules will face swift penalties as police roll out mobile courts and intensify enforcement on major highways and within urban centres.
The Nairobi–Nakuru highway was flagged as the most problematic corridor, with hotspots identified in Lari, Kimende, Soko Mjinga, Salgaa and Timboroa. Sections of the Nairobi–Mombasa highway were also listed as high-risk.
The security briefing followed a separate meeting at the Ngong Traffic Base, where senior commanders reviewed traffic operations and officially opened the Traffic Police Training Centre.
Beyond roads, Lagat said security had been reinforced countrywide to protect both Kenyans and visitors during the holiday period.
Police presence will be heightened at airports, border points, hotels, shopping malls, beaches, places of worship, entertainment joints, central business districts and other critical installations.
Police officers currently on leave have been recalled, while off-duty leave has been suspended to boost manpower on the ground.
“We want those travelling and celebrating to do so safely,” Lagat said, calling on the public to cooperate with security officers.
The meeting centred on traffic snarl ups during festive seasons; dealing with criminal groups; and, security during the festive season.The DIG urged the police heads to endeavour to afford Kenyans safety and security during the festive season and in the new year.
Security agencies have also stepped up operations against illicit brew, noise pollution, emerging criminal gangs and inter-communal clashes, particularly in Angata Barrikoi, Narok County.
“We are profiling those behind these criminal activities and will be coming for them,” Lagat warned.
To strengthen coordination, the National Multi-Agency Command Centre (NMACC) has been activated to oversee surveillance, intelligence sharing and rapid response before, during and after the festive season.
The centre brings together the Kenya Defence Forces, National Police Service, National Intelligence Service, Kenya Prisons Service, Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Forestry Service, National Youth Service and the National Government Administration.
Similar command centres have been activated at regional and county levels, supported by festive season operation orders issued by the National Police Service.
The traffic operation is being implemented jointly with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), using both physical and electronic enforcement measures alongside mobile courts.
Authorities said Regional and County Security Committees have also been reinforced to boost counter-terrorism preparedness and roll out Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) action plans.
Meanwhile, targeted crackdowns on organised criminal gangs have been intensified in Nairobi, the Coast, Western, Nyanza, Central and Eastern regions, alongside renewed enforcement against cultural and social crimes such as female genital mutilation, defilement, early pregnancies, forced marriages, domestic violence and religious extremism.
