Opinion

By Kipchumba Murkomen | 17 hours ago

For many years we have seen thousands of Kenyans line up to enthusiastically pursue careers in the police service and criminal justice during recruitments. It is curious that our brothers and sisters keep offering themselves for this tough assignment that on the face of it has no acknowledgment or reward.

During their training, police officers make a vow to protect and to serve, fully aware that this may mean putting their own lives in danger to keep all of us as citizens and communities safe.

A silent majority of us have not had friction with law enforcement and every day and night, thousands seek and get help from police officers across the country when trouble knocks on anyone’s doors.

When we deeply reflect on what effective policing means to the life and limb of our brothers and sisters across the nation, we find it difficult to allow the normalisation of the attack of our first line of defence simply because they are doing their job of protecting all of us from some of us who are potentially dangerous and criminal.

Take the case of the year that has just ended. Working in their usual obscurity and desired secrecy, the security and administration wing of our country was able to successfully keep Kenyans safe from terrorist activities. Despite constant predictions by some of our partners of potential terrorist attacks, Kenya lowered terrorism threats from “high” in 2023, to “medium” in 2024 in the Global Terrorism Index Impact Score.

Our administration and security agencies thwarted close to 50 terrorist attacks, again in obscurity and secrecy that is critical for success in this sector. They were able to track, investigate and provide solid cases that resulted in the conviction of 11 terrorists. We kept terrorists at bay in places like Lamu and other parts of the coast that had become playgrounds for the deadly criminals and we remain vigilant in those places and across the country.

Kenyans will recall the desperate insecurity situation in the North Rift at the start of the tenure of this administration. People could not go to farms, markets and even hospitals. We had virtually lost and surrendered that part of the country to bandits. Insecurity led to the closure of schools and paralysed life and government operations in the region.

The return of normalcy in the North Rift means a full life for the children whose futures were being robbed by cutting off from schools and mothers who could not get basics services like maternal care because hospitals were closed or were inaccessible.

Because our officers and administrators put their lives on the line, we are starting 2025 with a 62 per cent decrease in cases of cattle rustling as a result of operation Maliza Uhalifu in the North Rift. We recorded massive recovery of stolen livestock in places like Baringo, Turkana and Samburu. For pastoralists, for whom their livestock is the bank and stock market, the recovery is nothing short of a miracle.

It is therefore shameful that a stranger in Kenya would not know how effective our policing has been if all they were to go with was legacy and social media sentiments by a few. Because the security and administration sector is functioning, it is easy to assume it has always been so and will continue to be even if we plunder it.

Across the country, day or night, police and other officers of the Ministry of Interior are addressing threats facing the people of Kenya with the sense of urgency and commitment that keeps the country going. It is that commitment that makes Kenya a hub for many regional, continental and global activities ranging from hosting UN offices to being the place of choice for diplomatic and multilateral initiatives that make a difference in other parts of the world.

We wish for the day that, in recognition and appreciation of the work our officers deliver to keep all of us safe, we would give them more support and cooperation. That for the dedicated consistent work they do, which has enabled other sectors to thrive too, our leaders and citizens would give them the benefit of doubt.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation Universal Security Audit Programme rated our country at 91.77 per cent in terms of security. Because security has been improving, tourism has been improving. The World Travel and Tourism Council’s 2024 Economic Impact Research reported a record-breaking year for Travel and Tourism in Kenya, contributing Sh1 trillion to the national economy in 2023.

Yet the law enforcement agencies have come under vicious attack and its officers are presented as rogue, incompetent and unaccountable by the same people who the police have offered services in different capacities over the years. 

We all acknowledge that just like you and I, our administration and security officers are not perfect. They are human beings, and human beings are not perfect. The imperfect humans are not restricted to the administration and security sector. They are found in every institution and formation, local or foreign, private or public.

Kenyans will agree that overall, we ended the year with a general crime reduction, with decrease in robbery, break-ins, stock theft, vehicle theft, drug offences and traffic crimes.

We are laser focused on protecting Kenyans and all residents from the threat of terrorism. We are focused on protecting the country and all institutions, local or foreign, private or public, from cyberattacks, economic espionage, violent crime and narcotics trafficking and everything despite the difficulties posed by the ever-changing face of these crimes.

Despite the efforts of adversaries within and without, Kenya remains a great, safe, secure and law-abiding nation that is constantly perfecting its capacity to provide security to citizens and foreigners alike, in the most professional and legal way possible. We have made great strides in that endeavour. With cooperation and support for our officers, we will keep on improving.

We are grateful to our partners, and are committed to continued collaboration with international agencies that have provided us with training and equipment support such as the US, UK, Canada, Israel, Japan, China, and Korea, among others.