Former Roots Party presidential running mate Justina Wamae has called for the relocation of the Kiganjo Police Training College to Baringo, arguing that Kenya’s police officers need training environments that reflect the security threats they face on the ground.

In a post shared on X on December 31, 2025, Wamae said police training must match the realities of banditry, organised criminal gangs, and violent goons, which she described as a serious threat to Kenya’s sovereignty. She said officers cannot effectively deal with insecurity if their training remains removed from the harsh terrain where many security operations now take place.

Wamae questioned the long-standing practice in which traffic officers accused of taking bribes are told to go to Baragoi. In her view, exposure to difficult terrain should form part of structured training, not disciplinary action.

Allays fears

She also addressed concerns from communities around Kiganjo who may fear losing business if the college were to move. Wamae said economic activity would not disappear but shift, adding that new business opportunities would emerge in affected areas.

She said the debate should focus on national security rather than local supply contracts. She ended her remarks by supporting the civic engagement slogan #inatuhusu, framing the issue as a shared national concern.

“Looking at the bigger picture, the Kiganjo police training school should move to Baringo, the police need the relevant environmental experience to combat banditry, hardcore criminal gangs and goons, which is an existential threat to the sovereignty of Kenya,” she posted.

“Si ni nyinyi huambia traffic police akidai hongo aende Baragoi? The locals shouldn’t worry about the lost supply opportunities, other business ventures will emerge.”

Kerio Valley training expansion

Wamae’s comments come at a time when the government is expanding police training infrastructure in the Kerio Valley, a region that has faced persistent insecurity linked to banditry and illegal firearms.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has, however, ruled out the relocation of Kiganjo and Embakasi police colleges. Speaking on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, in Karara, Cherangany, Trans Nzoia County, Murkomen said the new police training grounds planned for Samburu, Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet, and West Pokot will complement existing institutions, not replace them.

He explained that recruits and serving officers will continue to receive academic and structured training at Kiganjo and Embakasi A and B. The new facilities will support practical field training in forests and rugged areas where officers face bandits and criminal gangs. Murkomen said this approach allows the police service to strengthen skills without dismantling established institutions.

The CS also dismissed claims that the government plans to shut down Kiganjo or move it to another county. He said the aim is to expand training capacity and modernise the curriculum to meet current security needs.

Murkomen further revealed plans to upgrade the Kiganjo Police Training Campus into a fully fledged campus of the National Police University. The upgrade will support continuous professional training and specialised courses for officers at different stages of service.

He added that the government will establish additional campuses in other regions to meet growing demand for on-the-job training.