Murkomen puts chiefs on the spot in anti-graft war
By Kiprono Keileb, August 15, 2025Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has called on chiefs and assistant chiefs to take the lead in the fight against corruption, urging them to uphold integrity and resist any form of bribery in their duties.
“Always do everything to make sure that you deliver your services well. We must confront corruption, I must say. Chiefs and assistant Chiefs are the most trusted public servants in Kenya. Because of that, you need to be at the forefront in dealing with corruption and make sure that you are also as much as possible, not facilitating corrupt activities or being involved in corruption,” Murkomen said during an engagement with Chiefs and assistant chiefs in National Police College, Embakassi on Friday, August 15, 2025.
The CS emphasised the crucial role chiefs play in maintaining law and order at the grassroots level, stressing that their authority should not be compromised by monetary influence.
“As a chief, you don’t need anything for your pen to sign something, don’t take money to solve disputes in your localities, don’t be paid to favour anyone, because you are a very important lot. We depend on you to deal with social ills, including gender based violence,” he said.
Murkomen highlighted the successes achieved so far, noting that chiefs have been instrumental in addressing social challenges such as alcohol abuse and gender-based violence. “You have done a good job on alcohol and gender base violence. Nothing is going on in the village that the chief doesn’t know,” he added.
The CS’s remarks come at a time when Kenya continues to grapple with widespread corruption at different levels of governance. Chiefs, often the first point of contact between the government and the community, are expected to model transparency and accountability. Murkomen’s message underscores the government’s reliance on these frontline officers to enforce the rule of law while protecting vulnerable citizens.
By urging chiefs to resist any form of corruption, Murkomen sought to reinforce public trust in local administration. His statement also served as a reminder that the fight against graft starts at the grassroots, where even small acts of integrity can have a lasting impact on governance and social cohesion.
With this call to action, Murkomen aims to ensure that chiefs remain central to the nation’s efforts to curb corruption while continuing to safeguard communities against social ills. His warning is clear: justice cannot be bought, and those entrusted with enforcing it must lead by example.