Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has called for a shift in Kenya’s citizen participation model in security management, saying public engagement should be measured by the action it triggers rather than the number of meetings held.
In a statement on his X account on Monday, September 28, 2026, Murkomen said initiatives such as Jukwaa La Usalama should focus on resolving issues raised by communities, the speed of government response and the changes experienced by citizens.
“We have placed citizen participation at the centre of our security management because the whole-of-society approach is accountable and transparent, builds trust, and delivers results,” Murkomen said.
He said the government would continue improving the model to establish a continuous two-way relationship between security agencies and communities.
Identifying security challenges
According to Murkomen, the approach should enable authorities to identify security challenges raised by citizens, link them to multi-agency interventions and report back to communities on the action taken.
“Jukwaa La Usalama must, however, move beyond the number of meetings held to the actions triggered, the issues resolved, the time taken to respond, and the change experienced by communities,” he said.
Murkomen spoke while delivering a lecture titled ‘Citizen Engagement as a Strategic Pillar of National Security and Resilience’ at the National Defence College (NDC) in Karen, Nairobi.
He also commended the NDC, led by Commandant Lieutenant General Juma Shee Mwinyikai, for its work in positioning the institution as a regional centre of excellence for policy and strategy studies.
The CS said stronger engagement between citizens and security agencies would help build trust while making security management more responsive to challenges affecting communities.
