NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 21 — Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has reported a 1.6 per cent decline in crime nationwide over the past six months.
Murkomen has also told lawmakers that complaints of corruption involving police officers have also dropped amid ongoing reforms in the security sector.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security on Tuesday, Murkomen said the country recorded 48,545 cases between September 2025 and February 2026, down from 49,325 cases in the previous period.
“The national security situation has remained generally stable, although isolated challenges persist,” he said, citing banditry and cattle rustling in parts of the North Rift and Upper Eastern, as well as terrorism threats linked to Al-Shabaab militants in the North Eastern region.
Data presented to the committee showed declines across most major categories of crime, including homicide, robbery, break-ins, and offences against morality.
Homicide cases fell by 6.4 per cent, while break-ins dropped by 14.1 per cent and stealing offences declined by 7.5 per cent.
Murkomen noted that offences involving police officers decreased by 7.8 per cent, while reported corruption cases remained low and unchanged at 49 incidents during the review period.
However, the report flagged increases in a few categories, including economic crimes, which rose by 6.5 percent, and traffic offences, which surged by 43.4 percent, albeit from a low base.
Urban centres, particularly Nairobi, Nakuru, and Mombasa, have seen a rise in gang-related activity, including daylight robberies involving motorcycle gangs. Insecurity hotspots remain concentrated in counties such as Mandera County, Wajir County, Garissa County, Turkana County, Samburu County, and parts of Nairobi’s informal settlements.
To counter violent crime, Murkomen outlined the deployment of specialised units under the National Police Service, including undercover teams, forensic experts, and rapid response units.
The service has also intensified foot and mobile patrols, alongside intelligence-led operations targeting criminal networks.
He said the government is expanding surveillance and adopting technology-driven policing through the Integrated Command, Control and Communication (IC3) system, which combines CCTV coverage and automatic number plate recognition to enhance real-time monitoring and response.
Currently, about 1,899 surveillance cameras and 281 number plate recognition cameras are deployed across 664 sites nationwide, with the highest concentration in Nairobi.
However, Murkomen acknowledged that parts of the system are ageing and undergoing upgrades to improve reliability and expand coverage.
The Interior Ministry is also rolling out broader reforms anchored in the National Police Service Strategic Plan 2023–2027, focusing on the digitisation of operations, including the introduction of digital occurrence books and improved forensic capabilities.
On emergency preparedness, Murkomen said the police have strengthened crisis response through specialised units such as the Quick Response Unit and the National Disaster Management Unit, while enhancing coordination with county governments and the National Disaster Operations Centre.
He added that community policing initiatives, including Nyumba Kumi structures and public reporting platforms such as “Fichua kwa DCI,” continue to play a critical role in crime prevention.
Murkomen told the committee that the reforms aim to build a more professional, accountable, and technology-driven police service capable of responding effectively to evolving security threats.