NAIROBI, Kenya – Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced sweeping reforms for Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs, including nationwide retraining and decentralized uniform distribution, in a bid to strengthen grassroots security and service delivery.
Speaking Friday at the National Police College, Embakasi A Campus, Murkomen said many officers have gone decades without refresher courses, with some missing training opportunities for up to 25 years. The last nationwide training was held in 2018.
“This has come out strongly during our Jukwaa La Usalama forums across the country,” he said. “In line with the Kenya Kwanza manifesto, which recognises capacity building as key to effective service delivery, we have embarked on a rapid training programme starting with 1,000 officers. Our goal is to train more than 8,000 by December.”
Despite the critical role Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs play in security enforcement and service delivery, many of them have for long stagnated in the same job group and without the necessary training.This has come out strongly during our Jukwaa La Usalama forums across the
The programme will focus on induction, paralegal skills, and security management, and will be linked to career promotions.
Murkomen also unveiled standard operating procedures to guide collaboration between National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs) and the newly established National Government Administration Police Unit (NGAPU).
In a separate move to resolve long-standing grievances, the CS flagged off thousands of official uniforms to counties, ending the decades-old practice of Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs travelling to Nairobi at their own expense to collect them.
“Since independence, Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs have had to travel to Nairobi for uniforms at great cost and inconvenience,” Murkomen said. “Decentralising this process is a step towards efficiency and cost savings.”
The retraining and uniform distribution are part of a broader welfare package for NGAOs that also includes improved mobility and office infrastructure.
Murkomen urged the officers to rededicate themselves to promoting community cohesion, resolving disputes, combating illicit brews, and tackling gender-based violence and child defilement.
Present at the event were Internal Security Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, Administration Police Deputy IG Gilbert Masengeli, and senior ministry officials Beverly Opwora and Jacob Narengo.
