Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, flanked by Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and other top security chiefs, walks through Nairobi City towards Nyayo House on October 2, 2025/MINAInterior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has called for a fair police transfer policy to ensure officers serve across the country equally and are not confined to difficult stations indefinitely.
Murkomen said a more balanced approach to police deployment would boost morale in the service and improve security delivery.
“All police officers must serve the country equally. No one should be punished by being left in one challenging area forever,” he said.
He spoke during the Jukwaa la Usalama forum in Nairobi.
Murkomen said it was unfortunate that some officers have stayed in Nairobi for more than five years. These officers, he claimed, have now “become part of the problems” the service is dealing with.
“We have told the IG that there must be clarity on the transfer policy. Officers should not serve in the same place indefinitely. We will agree on a policy where they serve between three and five years,” he stated.
“Once the policy is completed, we will implement it. If you have served in a police station for three years, you are moved to Mandera. I have just come from North Eastern, and we have agreed that officers who have been there for eight or ten years in operational areas should be moved. It is unfair. We need a fair transfer policy that ensures officers can serve all over the country.”
The CS also raised concern over the rise of criminal gangs in Nairobi, noting that they continue to pose a major threat to residents’ safety.
He announced that the government is working on a more decentralised security management structure for the city, expanding administrative units to match the county’s high population density.
As part of these reforms, community policing will be made more proactive to prevent crime rather than merely respond to it.
Security agencies will also intensify patrols in hotspots and strengthen collaboration with residents to improve intelligence sharing.
Murkomen stressed that Nairobi’s importance as the country’s administrative and economic capital, and East Africa’s financial hub, requires innovative solutions to security challenges.
“This is a world capital, home to some UN headquarters and many global institutions. While generally calm and vibrant, Nairobi faces unique challenges that require constant vigilance,” he said.
He expressed confidence that the operational and policy changes born out of the Jukwaa la Usalama forums would significantly improve security and service delivery in the city.
As is tradition during security tours, Murkomen paid a courtesy call on Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja at City Hall, where they discussed joint interventions to enhance security and service delivery.
The CS lauded Sakaja’s Dishi na County school feeding programme, describing it as a crucial initiative in keeping children in school and reducing juvenile crime.
“Such interventions not only alleviate hunger but also help curb the lure of crime among vulnerable young people,” he said.
The two leaders also discussed joint efforts to safeguard public infrastructure from vandalism and address Nairobi’s transport management challenges.
Governor Sakaja was joined by Deputy Governor Njoroge Muchiri, Makadara MP George Aladwa, MCAs, and senior county officials, while Murkomen was accompanied by Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, senior police commanders, prisons leadership, and regional administrators.
The CS also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to making Nairobi a safer and more livable city, pointing to stronger collaboration between national security agencies and county leadership as the foundation for lasting solutions.
