Government to Deal with Plights of Uniformed Officers

By Mwakwaya Raymond

Chiefs, their assistants and other National Government Administrative officers (NGAO) have reasons to smile after interior cabinet secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced his intention to look into their long overdue welfare.

Speaking in Kilifi on Wednesday, April 9, 2025 on his third day of touring the Coast region, the CS assured the officers that the government would indeed improve on its officers’ welfare so they could effectively and diligently serve Kenyans.

According to him it is pathetic for government officers to live and serve in such poor conditions adding that it is not only demoralizing but very unbefitting situation for such very important government officials.

“I cannot continue watching them undergoing such pathetic conditions and expect them to serve Kenyans at their best, no I have to do something so as to improve on their welfare.”

From the local assistant chief to the Assistant County Commissioner (ACC), Officer Commanding station (OCS), Administration Police Service (APS), they had a rare opportunity to air their grievances and plights before the interior CS under the watchful eye of the regional coordinator Rhoda Onyanja.

First to speak at the well packed forum held at St Thomas in Kilifi was Teckla Chai, a senior Chief Ngerenya location, who eloquently outlined numerous issues rendering the local administration from performing effectively.

On behalf of her colleagues in the county, the chief said it was high time the government employed office secretaries to assist them in handling office work.

In her view, the world is changing too fast for comfort and thus wants the government to digitalise all the chief’s offices by providing them with computers or laptops.

For effective mobility and fast service delivery to Kenyans, the chiefs proposed to be given motor bikes to facilitate their movements within their areas of jurisdiction.

“We want to be considered for medical cover, risk allowance, promotion as most of us have stagnated at one job group for too long,” she said.

Also, the chiefs want the government to regularly organize for trainings as a way of boosting their capacity and career progression in the administration hierarchy.

Dennis Barasa, assistant County commissioner Mariakani, stole the show by winning the CS’s heart as he bravely narrated the demands of his fellow colleagues.

“Sir, I have known you for a longtime now as we used to attend the same church in Uasin Gishu sometimes in 2013 under the same pastor. By then you were vying for senatorial position while myself I was already an assistant County Commissioner.”

Indeed, you won the position and you became a senator. Ten years now you have risen to the position of a cabinet secretary while myself am still an assistant County Commissioner.

At least your tithe to the church has tremendously risen while mine is still the same since then. Sir kindly promote me so that I can have something reasonable to offer to the church as my tithe,” he politely said putting the crowd to cheers and laughter.

While addressing attendees, the CS acknowledged Barasa’s oratory skills and bravery used to win his heart for choosing someone who knows him in person to take up the mantle of presenting their plights.

Just like the chiefs, the ACCs wanted a medical cover, frequent trainings, clerical officers as well as transport facilities.

He claimed they operate under very weird situation given that their areas of jurisdiction were expansive. For instance, Magarini Subcounty covers 53% of the total area of Kilifi, but under one ACC.

According to him most of the time they are forced to dig deeper into their pockets so as to reach to the remotest areas under their supervision, thus, rendering services to innocent Kenyans very difficult.

OCS’s under Inspector Nyamawi of Mtwapa Police Station pointed out the issue of shortage of personnel which the CS promptly said the government would soon be recruiting ten thousand police officers and understaffed stations would get first priority.

The OCS decried the ever growing uncleared pending bills saying it jeopardizes their good co-existence with local communities who supply them with meals for those remanded at various police stations.

“Our AIE allocation is very little and to make it worse it does not come in time forcing us to use our own cash to run the stations.”

His proposal to have Mtwapa Police Station relocated to Kenya Agricultural Research Institute KARI was well received by the CS who assured him that it should be done within the shortest time possible.

Both the APS’s and the Coast Guards had similar plights of understaffing as well as lack of mobility facilities.

Wananchi raised a myriad of grievances on how insecurity has really taken over their areas of residence making them to live in fear. Betty Jilani, a resident of Tezo, was as well mad with the lands officers in Kilifi for taking advantage of the indigenous people’s ignorance and play hide and seek land games leaving them in disarray.

Youths want the government to create more job opportunities and lowering the employment age set of 30 years to enable them be employed and serve Kenyans at their tender age.

The CS assured the locals that he would work on every issue raised and a lasting solution should be found at the shortest time possible.

The CS’s listening tour of the region is still going on until he covers all the six counties. He has so far visited Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi and Lamu.