Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen is in Taita Taveta County for the final day of the Jukwaa La Usalama Coastal tour, where he reiterated the government’s commitment to fair and equal access to national services for all Kenyans.
The CS chaired a closed-door meeting in Mwatate to be briefed on security concerns in the county. He later conducted a spot check on the ongoing mobile national ID registration exercise, where he interacted with applicants who had been issued with waiting cards.
Addressing the press, Murkomen emphasized the government’s decision to scrap the mandatory extra-vetting process for border communities, terming it a major step towards ending historical discrimination.“The people of Taita Taveta County who have suffered discrimination and ethnic profiling since independence can now access government services like other Kenyans,” he said.
He further announced that the removal of application fees for first-time ID applicants had eliminated financial barriers that previously hindered locals from obtaining the crucial document.“I am impressed that locals can now apply for IDs free of charge and without discrimination based on ethnicity, origin, or religion,” he said.
Murkomen is also expected to engage with local leaders, security stakeholders, and members of the public on key security matters affecting the region. Additionally, he will inspect ongoing development projects and assess the state of service delivery in the county.He was accompanied by Taita Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime, Deputy Governor Christine Kilalo, and area MPs Shake Mbogho (Mwatate), John Bwire (Taveta), Danson Mwashako (Wundanyi), and Lydia Haika (County).
Top security officials present included Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat of the Kenya Police Service, Gilbert Masengeli of the Administration Police Service, and other regional and county security chiefs.
