Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced that all chiefs and their assistants in Mandera County will soon be armed as part of new security measures to counter growing insecurity in the region.
Speaking during a security briefing in Mandera, Murkomen emphasized that the chiefs will undergo thorough paramilitary and firearm training before being issued with weapons. He noted that the government’s decision comes after rising cases of banditry, cross-border terrorism, and armed attacks targeting both civilians and local administrators.
“We cannot continue to expose our chiefs to danger while they are the first point of contact with wananchi in times of crisis. They must be equipped to defend themselves and the communities they serve,” Murkomen stated.
The Interior CS explained that chiefs are often stationed in remote, hard-to-reach areas where police presence is minimal. Equipping them with firearms, he said, will help deter attacks, improve law enforcement, and strengthen grassroots security structures.
Local leaders in Mandera have welcomed the move, saying that the step will boost confidence among residents who rely heavily on chiefs for guidance and protection. However, some civil society groups have raised concerns about the risks of arming administrators without adequate oversight, warning that it could lead to misuse of weapons if not carefully monitored.
Murkomen reassured the public that the training program will be rigorous and guided by the National Police Service to ensure professionalism and accountability.
The government has recently intensified efforts to strengthen security in Kenya’s northern region, including the deployment of more security personnel, community policing initiatives, and cross-border intelligence sharing with neighboring countries.
If successfully rolled out, Mandera will become one of the first counties where chiefs and assistant chiefs are officially armed in Kenya—a move that could later be replicated in other insecurity-prone regions.
