Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has ordered a sweeping crackdown on illegally acquired government land, warning that the rampant grabbing of police and prisons land poses a serious threat to national security.
Speaking in Kitui County as he launched the ‘Jukwaa La Usalama’ tour across the Lower Eastern region, Murkomen called for immediate eviction of squatters occupying state property.
He emphasized the urgent need to title all public land, which he described as a critical step in safeguarding government resources and preventing conflict.
“Land is a very emotive matter and a source of insecurity. Public land grabbed must be recovered and properly titled,” the CS stated, adding that all administrative units must ensure land documents are accurate and up to date.
Murkomen revealed plans to work closely with the Ministry of Lands to ensure that all government land is surveyed, documented, and secured from encroachment.
He also ordered immediate protection of such land, especially areas under police and prisons departments, where land grabbing has been increasingly reported.
The CS further linked rising cases of insecurity in the region to unresolved land disputes, noting that the tension between farmers and herders has escalated due to unclear land ownership in parts of Kitui and other counties.
He warned that communal and private land, particularly group ranches in coastal and lower eastern regions, are also vulnerable to conflicts and encroachment.
“Many reported cases even here in Kitui County are about land issues, and it’s a security threat arising from clashes,” he observed.
Murkomen also touched on boundary disputes between counties, which he said have strained inter-county relations and should be discussed at the national level. “This debate should be escalated to Parliament because it’s about resources,” he said, citing the ongoing boundary conflict between Kitui and Tana River counties.
Turning to the issue of human-wildlife conflict, the CS raised concerns over illegal settlement in protected areas, including the Mwingi Game Reserve.
He pledged collaboration with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and county governments to secure these ecosystems, deploy rangers, and crack down on illegal activities such as the possession of firearms and pasture-related fights.
“We will work closely with the county government to deploy rangers and curb criminal activities,” he said.
Murkomen praised the contribution of the 240 National Police Reservists in Kitui, saying their efforts have significantly reduced crime levels in the area.
