Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba
Murkomen has told chiefs to refer to President William Ruto’s public speeches
when they are unsure how to explain government policies at community forums.
Murkomen made the remarks at State
House on Tuesday during the submission of the Jukwaa la Usalama Report,
where President Ruto met more than 2,000 chiefs and assistant chiefs.
Addressing the administrators,
Murkomen cautioned them against giving inaccurate or incomplete responses when
questioned by the public on programmes such as the Social Health Authority
(SHA) or Affordable Housing.
“I have told chiefs before that when
you go to barazas and someone asks you a question, and you do not know, say you
will consult with the DCC and that in the next meeting I will come explain,” he
said.
He then urged them to model their
explanations on the President’s messaging.
“Then go Google Ruto's speeches,
then come explain it like he does. I hope you have taken notes so when you go
back to the villages you explain things the way he just did,” he told the
chiefs.
Murkomen’s comments reinforced the
government’s push for a unified communication strategy at the grassroots,
especially on reforms under the SHA, taxation changes and ongoing
infrastructure projects.
The directive comes amid a broader push under the Jukwaa la
Usalama forums, which the Interior Ministry established earlier this year to
deepen grassroots engagement on security, service delivery and governance
across the 47 counties.
The initiative aims to provide citizens with a formal platform
to raise concerns and collaborate with security and administrative officials.
Murkomen used the opportunity to highlight concrete reform efforts under the
programme.
He sounded the alarm over rising cases of sexual and gender-based violence
(SGBV), especially defilement and child abuse in Western and Nyanza regions, as
outlined in the new Jukwaa la Usalama report.
The report warns that harmful cultural practices and non-judicial
settlements continue to obstruct justice for victims.
Murkomen called on chiefs to play a frontline
role in confronting these challenges. He said local administrators often face
danger when enforcing laws around illicit alcohol, land conflicts or enforcing
prohibitions on early marriages, which the government says remain a threat in
some parts of the country.
By instructing chiefs to rely on Ruto’s speeches when explaining policy and to verify with District County Commissioners where they are uncertain, Murkomen underscored an effort to standardise government messaging at the grassroots level.
