Murkomen defends DCI, launches revamped call centre

DCI boss Mohamed Amin, Deputy IG Gilbert Masengeli, Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen and IG Douglas Kanja at the DCI HQ [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has defended the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) against accusations of impunity, stating that the agency operates strictly within the law and remains accountable to the public.

Speaking on Tuesday, July 22, at the DCI Headquarters on Kiambu Road during the relaunch of the revamped Fichua Kwa DCI call centre, Murkomen dismissed claims that the department is a "faceless" institution harboring rogue officers.

"There's a lot of innuendo and propaganda that this DCI is a hidden place, that rogue officers are here. As you can see, all these officers have been introduced openly; we know their names, we know what they do, and this is an institution of the people, not just for the government or elites," Murkomen said.

The event, which also marked the commissioning of a modernized call centre with new communication infrastructure, was attended by officials from the UK government, whose partnership supported the refurbishment.

Murkomen emphasized that the DCI and the broader National Police Service operate within a framework of transparency and accountability, as enshrined in the constitution.

"A few people still live in the past, where they think that police officers operate in isolation. Unfortunately for them, it's no longer possible because the constitution itself talks about a service, not a force," he noted.

According to Murkomen, the revamped Fichua Kwa DCI platform was part of broader reforms to bridge the gap between the police and the public