Murkomen Urges Graduating Officers to Uphold Law and Community Trust in Policing

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has called on newly graduated security officers to serve with integrity, professionalism, and respect for the law as they prepare to join the ranks of Kenya’s border police.

Speaking on Friday at the Border Police Training Campus in Kajiado during the official closing ceremony of the Border Police Unit Special Role Course, Murkomen congratulated 127 officers who successfully completed the intensive training program aimed at equipping them to tackle modern security threats along Kenya’s porous borders.

“It gives me great pleasure to celebrate this momentous day with you,” he said. “The training you have undergone has tested your limits and equipped you with critical skills essential for national security.”

The CS urged the officers to strictly adhere to the National Police Service Act, 2011, and the Constitution, particularly in their use of force and handling of firearms. He cautioned against the misuse of power, noting that excessive force undermines public trust and damages the legitimacy of police operations.

“When you use a firearm against another person, it’s either your life is in danger, someone is running away who has committed a felony, or another civilian’s life is at risk,” he stated.

Murkomen emphasized that diplomacy should not be mistaken for weakness, but rather seen as a vital strength in law enforcement.

“Build relationships, not barriers. Earn the trust of the communities you serve,” he told the officers.

Referring to recent protests and unrest across the country, including an incident in Dagoretti, Kiambu County, where a firearm was stolen from a police station, Murkomen questioned public sympathy for individuals involved in such crimes.

“With the gun in the wrong hands, a police officer or civilian could be harmed,” he said. “How are our officers expected to retrieve it if not by responding appropriately to threats?”

The training program, the first of its kind, included modules on ambush and counter-ambush tactics, patrol formations, counter-IED strategies, forensic procedures, battlefield terrain analysis, and threat assessment. The curriculum was tailored to address evolving security challenges both locally and globally.

Murkomen lauded the National Police Service for modernizing its training approaches to better equip officers for today’s dynamic security environment.