Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has challenged Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) to strengthen devolution by prioritising impactful legislation.
Addressing a special sitting of the Trans Nzoia County Assembly after commissioning the new County Assembly Centre, Murkomen said county assemblies play a critical role in driving grassroots development through effective, people-centred legislation.
” Prioritise legislation that transforms communities, strengthens devolution and improves service delivery. Leave a legacy through meaningful laws that will continue benefiting wananchi long after your term ends,” he told the MCAs.
The Cabinet Secretary highlighted the gains of the Jukwaa la Usalama public engagement forums, describing them as a key pillar in strengthening collaboration between citizens and security agencies by giving communities a direct voice in shaping the country’s security agenda.
“The engagements were genuine and not merely procedural exercises intended to satisfy constitutional requirements. Public participation should give wananchi an opportunity to shape solutions to the security challenges affecting their communities,” Murkomen said.
He said the security engagement programme was anchored in meaningful public participation, enabling his team to receive firsthand feedback on emerging security threats.
“The government has already developed a national framework to formally recognise and support village elders as key partners in community policing and grassroots security initiatives following the forums,” said the Cs.
Addressing concerns over police shortages, the Cabinet Secretary said the government has intensified recruitment by enlisting an additional 10,000 police officers to strengthen security operations nationwide.
He noted that more than 20 per cent of the recruits are women, reflecting efforts to enhance gender representation within the National Police Service.
Murkomen also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to dismantling criminal gangs through sustained intelligence-led operations targeting gang members, their financiers and facilitators.
“We will not relent until our communities are safe from goons and gangs. Some of these criminals are shielded by politicians, but we will deal with them regardless of their political affiliations. We shall do so within the confines of the law,” he said.
The Cabinet Secretary, however, expressed concern over what he described as lenient court penalties that have allowed criminal suspects to secure release shortly after arrest, saying the trend has undermined efforts to combat crime and protect the public.
He also outlined ongoing administrative reforms aimed at strengthening coordination between National Government Administration Officers and security agencies to improve service delivery and enhance the country’s security architecture.
Murkomen urged political leaders to reject divisive ethnic rhetoric, warning that such narratives threaten national cohesion and peaceful coexistence.
“Do not allow ethnic rhetoric to become the cornerstone of our conversations. Kenya belongs to all of us, and we must safeguard our unity,” he said.
The special sitting was convened after Trans Nzoia County Assembly Speaker Andrew Wanyonyi invoked the Standing Orders, following a request by the House Majority leaderEdwin Koech, to allow the visiting Cabinet Secretary to address Members of the County Assembly.
Speaker Wanyonyi commended Murkomen for his efforts to strengthen security across the country and called for closer coordination between the national government and local leaders in addressing security challenges affecting communities.
“Enhanced collaboration between both levels of government remains critical to sustaining peace, protecting lives and accelerating development,” said the speaker.
