NAIROBI, Kenya — Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has hailed the formal integration of village elders into Kenya’s national administrative structure as a landmark reform under the Kenya Kwanza administration, saying the move fulfils President William Ruto’s bottom-up governance agenda.
Speaking at State House, Nairobi, during a meeting hosted by President Ruto for village elders from across the country, Murkomen said the new policy provides long-awaited legal recognition, structured support and defined responsibilities for grassroots leaders who have historically served communities without a formal government framework.
The Cabinet Secretary said the policy was informed by views collected during the nationwide Jukwaa la Usalama public forums, where residents, chiefs and local leaders consistently called for the formal recognition and facilitation of village elders.
“Before we had even visited ten counties, Kenyans, chiefs, wananchi, and village elders were unanimous that village elders should be formally recognised and supported with something to help them carry out their responsibilities,” Murkomen said.
He disclosed that President Ruto directed the Ministry of Interior to develop the policy framework before the nationwide consultations had concluded, underscoring the government’s commitment to strengthening grassroots governance.
According to Murkomen, the framework formally incorporates village elders into the national administrative system by setting out eligibility criteria, roles and operational guidelines.
“We now have a legal framework that formally recognises village elders. It clearly defines their roles, eligibility criteria, and how they will carry out their duties. Our goal is to enable them to serve communities more effectively at the grassroots,” he said.
Under the new policy, village elders will support government programmes in areas including national security, conflict and land dispute resolution, environmental conservation through tree planting, public health awareness, agricultural extension and community data collection.
Murkomen described village elders as invaluable community leaders whose intimate knowledge of local communities makes them critical partners in public administration and security.
“Village elders possess remarkable local intelligence. There is very little they do not know about their communities,” he said, recalling his own experience working with a village elder during a national census exercise.
He added that the reforms establish a formal administrative link between the national government and every village, ensuring that grassroots leadership is integrated into governance structures.
“There will now be structured support for village elders and formal integration into local governance, creating a recognised link from the national government all the way to the village,” Murkomen said.
The Cabinet Secretary announced that the government has completed the registration and verification of approximately 106,000 villages across the country, served through about 9,700 sub-locations, each expected to have a recognised village elder under the new framework.
He further revealed that the Ministry will roll out nationwide digital literacy and leadership training to equip village elders with the skills required to effectively discharge their expanded responsibilities.
Murkomen urged the elders to use their influence to strengthen national cohesion, promote peaceful coexistence and work closely with security agencies to protect young people from criminal gangs and politically motivated violence.
“I request our elders to become the cornerstone of the unity of our Republic and reject leaders preaching division and tribalism. Let us also work together to ensure our youth are not drawn into hooliganism or political violence,” he appealed.
He said the reforms reflect the government’s commitment to decentralising service delivery and empowering the country’s lowest administrative unit in line with President Ruto’s bottom-up economic transformation agenda.
