The Ministry of Interior has launched a nationwide leadership training program targeting more than 8,000 chiefs and assistant chiefs, in a bid to strengthen grassroots governance and improve public service delivery.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen officially flagged off the first cohort of 1,000 officers drawn from all 47 counties at the National Police College Embakasi ‘A’ Campus. The initiative, which will cover 8,102 officers in total, is part of President William Ruto’s broader agenda to modernize and reform the security sector under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) framework.
The intensive three-week training will focus on paralegal and security management skills, equipping participants to handle emerging challenges, enhance government coordination, and provide effective service delivery at the grassroots level.
According to CS Murkomen, this marks a significant milestone, as some officers are undertaking such training for the first time in decades. “It’s unbelievable that the last time chiefs and assistant chiefs attended a course of this kind was in 2018. Some have not received any formal training since 1983. We are therefore not only launching a training course; we are making a new chapter in how we govern and secure our country from the grassroots up,” he stated.
The CS added that officers who successfully complete the training will be eligible for immediate promotions, addressing long-standing delays in compliance with Public Service Commission (PSC) requirements. So far this year, 87 chiefs and 58 assistant chiefs have already been promoted.
To further support grassroots administrators, Murkomen announced new Standard Operating Procedures to streamline collaboration between National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs) and the recently established National Government Administration Police Unit (NGAPU). He also unveiled plans to expand the government vehicle leasing program to improve officers’ mobility.
In response to concerns raised during county-level “Jukwaa la Usalama” forums, the ministry has begun distributing thousands of uniforms directly to counties, eliminating the need for officers to travel to Nairobi.
“This induction, paralegal and security management training is a strategic upgrade of our grassroots administration. It will empower officers with legal knowledge, strategic thinking, and modern security tools,” said Murkomen, reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to continuous capacity building and welfare enhancement.
