Chiefs with degrees to become Assistant County Commissioners – Murkomen

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced a series of reforms aimed at strengthening administrative services and security in marginalized and high-risk regions.

Speaking during a visit to Tana River County on Friday, April 11, Murkomen directed that chiefs holding university degrees be promoted to the rank of Assistant County Commissioners (ACC), a move he said would boost leadership capacity in the grassroots.

As part of the restructuring efforts, Murkomen also ordered that every sub-county must have two Principal Chiefs to improve public service delivery.

His tour of the Coast region focused on assessing security and administrative challenges in counties that have long faced resource constraints and recurring conflicts.

The Cabinet Secretary revealed that a fully established county headquarters for Tana River will be constructed in the next financial year, a step he said will help decentralize services and improve governance.

Addressing growing concerns over the safety of chiefs in volatile areas, Murkomen said the government is considering arming chiefs stationed in frontier regions vulnerable to criminal attacks, including threats from extremist groups like the Al-Shabaab.

"Corners in the frontline where we have established that chiefs are under imminent and persistent attack should have their chiefs armed. They will undergo another training at the Administration Police Training Campus (APTC)," said the CS.

Murkomen also addressed the long-standing issue of personnel deployment in harsh and marginalized areas.

He stressed that transfers to such regions should not be treated as disciplinary action.

He emphasized that no personnel should serve in such regions for more than three years.

"I have directed that all police officers who have served in Tana River and other frontline counties for more than three years be transferred immediately and not later than three months," he said.

The directive follows complaints from officers who claimed to have been stationed in the area for over a decade, with some serving for as long as 14 years.

Murkomen acknowledged the issue and attributed it partly to a shortage of personnel, which has hindered timely rotation of officers.

To address the situation, he highlighted the upcoming recruitment of 10,000 new police officers alongside stricter enforcement of the transfer policy.

He said this would help reduce burnout and ensure fairer deployment across the country.

Murkomen also mentioned the ongoing modernization program aimed at improving both police and administrative personnel’s welfare.

This includes provision of more vehicles, better housing, and working conditions to ensure all postings are viewed fairly, regardless of the region.

During the meeting with Tana River residents, several issues were raised, including boundary conflicts caused by limited natural resources like water, tribal tensions over leadership distribution, and the impact of climate change.

Residents cited recurring floods and famine as urgent concerns needing sustained attention.

As he concluded his address, Murkomen reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reforming administrative structures and ensuring equitable treatment of officers, saying no region should feel forgotten or penalized.