By Brian Kiprono - Reporter
Kenya, 28 August 2026 - Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen says Kenya’s investment in police modernisation has delivered a major improvement in security, with cases of banditry in northern Kenya and the Kerio Valley falling by between 75 and 80 per cent.
Speaking during the passing-out parade of newly trained police recruits at the National Police College in Kiganjo, Nyeri County, Murkomen attributed the decline to increased investment in police equipment, training and technology. He said the Government’s efforts were beginning to restore normal life in areas that have for years been affected by bandit attacks.
“As an example of this modernisation, we have been able to reduce acts of banditry, especially in the northern part of the country and Kerio Valley region, by almost 75 to 80 percent,” Murkomen said.
According to the CS, the security gains have allowed children in affected areas to return to school while farmers have resumed their activities. He said the Government was continuing to address the remaining banditry hotspots, particularly around the Isiolo, Samburu and Marsabit corridor.
The improvements, Murkomen said, are part of a wider police modernisation programme initiated by President William Ruto, which has seen the service receive modern vehicles, tactical equipment, protective gear and air support.
He said the Government was also rebuilding the police training system, including reopening regional training centres and expanding field training grounds to give officers practical experience in dealing with security threats.
“Training and training and training is going to be the cornerstone of reforming the National Police Service,” Murkomen said.
The Interior CS said the police were also being prepared for emerging forms of crime, including offences committed online. He said the revised training curriculum now covers digital crime, crowd management and public-order operations.
More from Kenya
Technology is another major component of the reforms. Murkomen said the National Police Service was rolling out an integrated command and control system that will include digital occurrence books and CCTV cameras in police stations.
The planned surveillance system is expected to cover all 1,200 police stations, while command centres will initially be established in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nyeri, Nakuru, Eldoret and Kisumu. The system will also allow Kenyans to report crimes digitally and help police use data and artificial intelligence to improve deployment.
Murkomen further announced that the service was undergoing procurement for 1,200 electric vehicles, which he said would help address persistent shortages of police vehicles across the country.
He said the reforms were ultimately aimed at creating a police service that is better equipped, continuously trained and capable of responding to changing security threats.
The latest recruitment forms part of the Government’s plan to strengthen police numbers, with Murkomen saying the new officers had been drawn from communities across the country and would help ease pressure on the existing workforce.