Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has cited illicit drugs, political gangs, human trafficking, and land disputes as some of the biggest security threats facing Kenya.

Speaking in Nakuru during the 28th county security and service delivery tour, Murkomen said the visits have exposed the scale of the problem and informed operational measures to tackle it.

The initiative, known as Jukwaa La Usalama, brings together opinion leaders, National Government Administration Officers, security agencies, and elected leaders in town hall-style meetings to address security and development matters.

Murkomen said the final report from all counties will serve as a policy document to guide structural reforms, but the tours are already producing results.

“Already, in the Kerio Valley belt—Turkana, Baringo, West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Samburu and Laikipia—which had serious security challenges, banditry has dropped by more than 70 per cent,” he said.

“The tours have also energised our security agencies and sharpened our focus. Everywhere we have been, major crackdowns have followed. You have seen cannabis seizures across Kenya.”

The CS expressed concern over the “near-normalisation” of cannabis use in the country, warning that the trend cannot be allowed to continue.

He said a multi-agency operation is underway to dismantle trafficking networks, identifying Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Kericho, Narok, and Nakuru as counties most affected by drug and substance abuse.

Nakuru City, he added, is a key transit route for drugs and illicit brews, especially adulterated ethanol and counterfeit spirits, with Molo, Naivasha, Njoro, and Rongai among the most affected towns.

Murkomen said the Directorate of Criminal Investigations’ Anti-Narcotics Unit is being strengthened to also tackle human trafficking, sexual violence, and drug-related offences, with newly recruited police officers to be deployed to reinforce the unit.

He noted that Nakuru is also struggling with land-related disputes, citing widespread illegal occupation in Gilgil, Naivasha, Njoro, Rongai, Molo, and Subukia.

“I challenge Kenyans to take the safest route to resolving disputes,” he said, announcing plans for a multi-agency team comprising officers from the ministries of Interior and Lands and community leaders to handle land conflicts. He warned against grabbing land from widows and the elderly, saying perpetrators will face legal action. “I have directed the regional security team to ensure cases are properly documented, thoroughly evaluated, and handled in a multi-agency manner,” he added.

Murkomen also vowed to clamp down on political gangs and their financiers, warning that the groups have even disrupted schooling in some areas. “I am glad our security teams have managed to tame gangs. But more needs to be done to stamp them out completely. In some areas, it has even affected school attendance. We can’t allow this,” he said.

He was accompanied by Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika, Deputy Inspector General (APS) Gilbert Masengeli, and several MPs.

On sports security, Murkomen said the government has set up measures to ensure compliance with Confederation of African Football (CAF) rules during the ongoing African Nations Championship (CHAN), with the National Police Service enforcing penalties where necessary.

“Kenyans are an important part of the game. I’d like to implore Kenyans to go to the stadium only if they have tickets,” he said, urging Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja to work with the Sports Ministry to provide big screens at strategic locations for fans to watch the matches.