Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has raised alarm over the growing strength of criminal gangs across the country, warning that some groups have become so large and well-organised that even police officers are struggling to contain them.
Speaking during a #CitizenExplainer interview, Murkomen said the country is witnessing an evolution of criminal networks that now pose a direct threat to law enforcement. “These gangs have grown to certain numbers that becomes a threat even to police officers providing law enforcement; there are instances that police officers are helpless,” he said.
The CS pointed to several recent incidents in which officers on patrol were forced to retreat after being outnumbered by armed gangs, calling it a dangerous shift that demands urgent intervention from security agencies.
Murkomen also acknowledged internal weaknesses within the police service, noting that some officers have been compromised and enabled criminal activity instead of stopping it. “There are also cases where the police are compromised to do the wrong thing,” he said, adding that corruption within the ranks continues to undermine public trust and weaken security operations.
Security analysts say gang activity has surged in urban and peri-urban areas, fuelled by unemployment, drug networks and political patronage. In parts of Nairobi, Kiambu, Nakuru and Mombasa, residents have repeatedly reported attacks, extortion and turf wars involving organised groups.
Murkomen urged the National Police Service and the Ministry of Interior to intensify reforms, improve officer welfare and dismantle the networks that allow gangs to flourish. He said the government must confront both the criminals and the corruption that shields them.
“We need a system that protects Kenyans, not one that is intimidated by gangs or infiltrated by corruption,” he said.
The Interior Ministry has yet to issue an official response to the CS’s remarks, though senior officers have previously acknowledged the growing challenge posed by gang networks.
