Murkomen Explains New Plan for Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has shared fresh and detailed information about the planned Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit (NMPU), describing it as a completely new approach to policing that Kenya has never implemented before.
Speaking during a press briefing in Nakuru, Murkomen explained that the new police unit will be created through a cooperation agreement between the Nairobi County Government and the National Government.
He said the structure and operations of the Nairobi unit will serve as a model for other major cities across the country. These include Kisumu, Mombasa, Eldoret, and Nakuru itself, as well as other fast-growing urban centres.
According to Murkomen, whatever framework is developed and tested in Nairobi will become the standard blueprint for improving policing systems in Kenya’s urban areas.
He emphasized that the government wants to build a modern and efficient policing system that reflects the unique security challenges faced in large cities.
Murkomen further explained that the design of the new police unit is based on careful research and comparison with policing systems in major cities around the world.
He said experts studied how global cities have reorganized their police services to deal with complex urban crime.
By reviewing documented best practices and lessons from international research, the government aims to introduce a system that is professional, data-driven, and better equipped to handle modern security threats.
A key part of the new plan involves working closely with Nairobi’s business community. Murkomen revealed that the government intends to integrate private CCTV systems installed in business premises and residential estates with the national police surveillance network.
This means that cameras owned by shopping malls, office buildings, and residential apartments will be linked to the main police monitoring system.
He explained that the goal is to ensure that all CCTV systems are interoperable, allowing police officers to quickly access footage when investigating crimes. This integration is expected to significantly reduce the time it takes to gather evidence, especially in busy commercial areas where incidents often occur. With a connected system, officers will be able to trace suspects’ movements across different locations more efficiently.
Beyond private surveillance cameras, the government is also upgrading Nairobi’s broader security monitoring infrastructure. Murkomen disclosed that the city’s surveillance system will be upgraded from NC3 to NC4.
This upgrade will greatly enhance the system’s capacity to analyze data, process information faster, and support more advanced monitoring capabilities.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) will play a major role in the upgraded system. Murkomen stated that AI technology will help police identify crime patterns in specific neighborhoods.
By analyzing large amounts of data, the system will be able to show which areas are prone to certain types of crime, whether it is theft, violent crime, or organized criminal activity.
This approach will allow law enforcement officers to deploy resources more strategically and respond to crime using a smarter and more scientific method.
The Cabinet Secretary also pointed out that policing in Nairobi presents unique challenges that differ from rural areas or smaller towns. Issues such as high population density, rapid urban growth, organized crime networks, and informal settlements require a specialized policing model.
The Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit is therefore intended to fill a long-standing gap by creating a dedicated structure focused specifically on metropolitan security.
Once the Nairobi model is fully developed, tested, and proven effective, the government plans to roll it out to other major cities including Nakuru, Kisumu, Mombasa, and Eldoret.
Eventually, the system will also be introduced in other emerging urban centers across the country as Kenya continues to urbanize.
Murkomen confirmed that the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit was formally proposed on Tuesday, February 17, during the signing of a Cooperation Agreement between the Nairobi County Government and the national government.
The high-profile event was presided over by President William Ruto, who directed Murkomen to present a complete operational framework for the new unit within 60 days.
During the ceremony, President Ruto highlighted the importance of cooperation between county and national governments. He cited the ongoing Nairobi River restoration project as a successful example of such collaboration.
According to the President, the project has already created employment opportunities for more than 45,000 young people in Nairobi, demonstrating how joint efforts can deliver tangible results.
Ruto also invited Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja to join him for site visits to inspect development projects underway across the county.
His remarks signaled that the partnership between the national government and Nairobi County is strengthening and that more joint initiatives are expected in the future.
The proposed Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit now stands as one of the most ambitious security reforms in recent years. If successfully implemented, it could reshape how urban policing is carried out in Kenya, combining modern technology, strategic planning, and closer cooperation between public and private sectors to improve safety in the country’s growing cities.
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