- CS Kipchumba Murkomen says better drone tech is vital for security success.
- He believes that roads, schools, and economic development are just as important as military gear.
- Many bandits in the North Rift are teenagers raised in hardship and neglect.
- Murkomen says insecurity is the result of years of government abandonment in certain counties.
Roads, drones, and youth investment—not just boots on the ground. That’s the message from Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen as he opened up about Kenya’s security challenges. He says drones that can fly longer and operate at night could help reduce patrol costs and boost response times.
But Murkomen made it clear that even the most advanced technology won’t fix everything.
No Shortcut to Peace
“You can’t expect MRAPs and helicopters to bring peace in places like Kerrio Valley and Samburu,” the CS said, adding that long-term solutions lie in fixing deep-rooted issues, not just in deploying troops.
According to him, the only way to bring lasting peace is to launch a full development plan targeting the 13 neglected counties—from Lamu all the way to Turkana.
Young Bandits, Broken System
The CS gave a troubling insight: a number of the armed bandits in the North Rift are teenagers, some barely 14 years old. He asked a tough question—“Are they really criminals or victims of a failed system?”
Murkomen described them as youth raised in abandonment—given weapons instead of opportunity, anger instead of hope.
A Harvest of Neglect
Pointing to Silale Ward in Baringo, which he noted is bigger than Kirinyaga County but has just one secondary school, Murkomen said Kenya is now facing the consequences of years of ignoring some regions.
“Insecurity is the fruit of the government’s failure to care,” he stated bluntly.
Roads Can Break Bandit Networks
He praised President William Ruto for pushing key road projects in forgotten regions. “When we build roads like Isiolo–Mandera and Lamu–Ijara, we’re not just laying tarmac—we’re shutting down bandit routes and giving locals access to jobs and education.”
Murkomen believes such development will help break the cycle of violence.
Security Starts With Development
Ending the cycle of banditry, the CS said, requires more than guns. It demands vision. “We keep policing poverty instead of replacing it with purpose. That has to change,” he said.
Murkomen’s message is clear: Kenya must stop focusing on just a third of the country and start lifting the drylands that have been left behind for decades. Only then, he insists, will the insecurity end—not by force, but by fairness.
