The government plans to install CCTV cameras across Nairobi and five other major towns as part of a new technology-driven strategy aimed at improving security and tackling crime.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the surveillance project will be rolled out in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Nyeri, Kisumu and Eldoret as the government moves to modernise policing and strengthen crime detection.
Speaking during a church service in Nairobi on Sunday, Murkomen said the government was investing heavily in technology to improve security operations and help law enforcement agencies respond more effectively to incidents.
“We are in the process of upgrading our security systems by introducing technological aspects,” he explained.
In his remarks, the CS stated that the government was nearing completion of efforts in installing a new monitoring system through which Nairobi will be among the first cities to receive the advantage of increased CCTV.
With the system up and running, the cameras would be connected to monitoring centers where security personnel could keep a close watch over what is happening in their environment in real-time.
Murkomen pointed out that such an advancement in the surveillance aspect of security services would play an important role in monitoring criminal activities in the city.
His announcement came against the backdrop of insecurity fears in some parts of Nairobi, where citizens have continued to complain of frequent incidences of pickpocketing, mobile phone thefts, robberies and related crime in the Central Business District.
The Interior CS cited the rise of petty crime and the emergence of juvenile gangs in some parts of the capital as key reasons behind the planned investment.
“We know that Nairobi in the recent past has faced petty thieves, pickpockets and some juvenile gangs even within the CBD. These reforms will help us monitor and identify those involved and ensure they are held accountable,” he said.
The planned CCTV rollout is part of a broader security overhaul that the government says is intended to make policing more efficient in rapidly growing urban centres.
The project also comes ahead of the planned restructuring of security operations in Nairobi. The government is expected to establish a Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit next month, a specialised team that will be equipped with additional vehicles, equipment and training to address the city’s unique security challenges.
Officials believe the combination of enhanced surveillance technology and specialised policing units will strengthen crime prevention efforts and improve public safety in Kenya’s major towns and cities.
If implemented as planned, Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Nyeri, Kisumu and Eldoret will become the first urban centres to operate under the new surveillance programme as the government pushes for a more technology-based approach to law enforcement.
