Govt to Set Up Police Posts Near Universities and Colleges

Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen has announced plans to establish police posts near universities and colleges across the country.

While attending the Jukwaa la Usalama forum in Nairobi County on Thursday, October 2, Murkomen stated that the move aims to curb rising insecurity, drug abuse, and violence in educational institutions.

According to the CS, police posts will be established near institutions that have previously lacked adequate security infrastructure.

“In many places across the country where we have held Jukwaa la Usalama, we have agreed to set up police posts near some colleges and universities because they had been neglected,” he said.

“This is a new population that has come to a particular country and must be taken care of.”

CS Murkomen Says Govt to Set Up Police Posts Near Universities and Colleges

The move, he said, will ensure faster response times and closer collaboration between students, administrators, and law enforcement.

The CS noted that many institutions of higher learning have faced challenges, including drug use, insecurity, and frequent student clashes.

He noted that this will help in ending the numerous muggings of students and other road users by criminals who hover around the area at night.

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To address these concerns, Murkomen stated that the government is collaborating with sub-county security committees to enhance safety on campuses.

He emphasized that student leaders and student deans should actively participate in sub-county security meetings to share concerns and propose solutions.

“There are many issues happening in our universities and colleges, including drug abuse, insecurity, violence, and frequent fights,” he said.

“They should have direct relationships with the security team so that when issues are raised—whether on drugs or student safety—action can be taken quickly.”

This development follows the establishment of a police patrol base near Mount Kenya University (MKU) in Thika in 2023, a facility designed to enhance security for students and the surrounding community.

MKU had made a request in 2022 to the Interior Ministry to beef up security around the university and its neighbourhood, leading to the approval of a community policing facility near the institution’s main campus in Thika town.

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Survey Reveals Alarming Drug Abuse in Universities

The announcement also came in the wake of a February survey by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), which revealed that nearly half of students in Kenyan universities have abused at least one drug or substance in their lifetime.

Alcohol, bhang, and prescription drugs were identified as the most commonly abused substances, with the problem more prevalent in public universities (68.5 per cent) than in private institutions (31.5 per cent).

Over half (54.2 percent) of the student population was male, and 45.2 percent was female, while 0.6 percent did not state their sex, according to NACADA.

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