On October 7, 2026, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen appeared before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Internal Security and National Administration. He attributed persistent banditry in Samburu, Isiolo, and Turkana counties to marginalisation and underdevelopment. Murkomen stated that the availability of illegal firearms, competition for pasture, and banditry were among the factors fuelling insecurity in the region.
Murkomen emphasized that underdevelopment is a sustaining factor to banditry. He suggested that the government needed to invest in roads, schools, and other infrastructure in affected areas to address the problem in the long term. According to Murkomen, unless roads and schools are developed, police will continue to deal with bandits repeatedly.
The CS questioned why banditry was prevalent in parts of northern Kenya but had not taken root in more developed towns. He cited Eldoret and Kitale as examples of developed towns with minimal banditry. Murkomen implied that development was a key factor in curbing banditry.
Security agencies had recovered 3,221 of the 4,306 livestock reported stolen between June and September 2026. However, the meeting turned tense as MPs raised concerns over the killing of livestock and civilians during security operations in Samburu. Murkomen disclosed that on September 16, security officers were ambushed by bandits, resulting in five fatalities.
The CS defended the government's position on compensation, stating that there was currently no legal framework allowing the state to compensate people whose livestock were lost during the security operation. He also questioned the authenticity of some images circulating on social media showing large numbers of dead cattle.
Samburu North MP Eli Letipila challenged the government's handling of the operation, emphasizing that livestock were central to the community's way of life. He also raised fresh concerns over insecurity in his constituency, stating that an attack was underway in his village in Marti at the time of the meeting.
Murkomen called for the restoration of funding for security roads, warning that the Interior Ministry had not received dedicated funds for the roads for about three years. He also warned political leaders against turning insecurity into a political issue, particularly as the country heads into an election year.
Key points
- - Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen attributes banditry in Northern Kenya to marginalisation and underdevelopment. - The government has recovered 3,221 of the 4,306 livestock reported stolen between June and September 2026. - Murkomen calls for the restoration of funding for security roads to address insecurity in Samburu and neighbouring counties.
