Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced major changes in the leadership of the Interior Ministry, appointing new top officials to boost efficiency.

The shake-up comes as the government introduces new efforts to curb insecurity in bandit-hit regions. Murkomen said the changes take effect immediately and will help improve service delivery.

In a notice issued on Saturday, July 26, Murkomen unveiled a series of new appointments within the Ministry of Interior and National Administration.

Jacob Namulen and Bevery Opwora were named as the new Principal Administrative Secretaries, while Thomas Saka was appointed Secretary for Internal Affairs.

Moses Kipkoech will now serve as the Secretary of National Administration, with Dickson Liyayi taking over as Secretary for Policy.

Further, Gilbert Kitiyo and Joshua Nkanatha were appointed as regional commissioners for Nairobi and Central Kenya, respectively.

Murkomen said the appointments are aimed at strengthening service delivery across the National Government Administration structure.

“Deployment has been reorganised to take effect immediately. Congratulations and godspeed as you embark on your new roles,” he announced.

The changes come as the government intensifies efforts to tackle insecurity, particularly in the bandit-hit counties of the North Rift region.

Speaking during a security forum—Jukwa la Usalama—in Elgeyo Marakwet on Friday, July 25, Murkomen acknowledged the deep impact of banditry on the region, which he said has resulted in the loss of lives and displacement of families.

To address this, Murkomen revealed a government plan to recover over 6,000 illegal firearms currently in the possession of armed groups.

He also launched an amnesty programme that offers bandits the opportunity to surrender weapons in exchange for government support, including education scholarships.

“Instead of waiting for the police to come for you, present yourself. And if you had not committed any offence, but you had an illegal gun, that one we are not going to charge you with. We will forgive you,” Murkomen said.

“If you do that, we will go a step further to take you to college.”

The initiative is part of broader government efforts to restore peace and stability in the North Rift region, which has for years been plagued by violent attacks linked to banditry and cattle rustling.