Lamu Woman Representative Ruweida Obbo has asked the national government to issue Nyumba Kumi officials with guns so they can protect themselves.
She has also asked the government to put the officials on payroll because of the role they play in ensuring security.
The MP said they should be paid a monthly salary just like any other state-employed person.
“No one should work for free,” Obbo said in Lamu on Thursday.
She said it was unfortunate that the officials have not received recognition from the government.
Many officials across the country lose their lives because they have become easy targets of criminals, especially terrorists and drug cartels.
In 2016, Mbwajumwali chief Mohamed Shee, 50, was attacked and hacked to death by a panga-wielding gang as he headed to his office in the morning.
The attack is believed to have been occasioned by the chief’s hard stance on drugs and crime.
Obbo said such incidents should challenge the government to do better for the officials in ensuring their safety.
“If a chief can be attacked and killed in broad daylight, one wonders what can happen to the Nyumba Kumi officials. Let history teach us,” she said.
She also asked the government to consider the two-thirds gender rule when employing security officers across the country.
“We want to see more female county commissioners and commanders."
Edited by R.Wamochie
