Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced plans to train all serving National Police Reservists (NPRs) within the next eight months as the government steps up efforts to tackle banditry and cattle rustling in pastoralist and border counties.
In a statement on Wednesday, September 24, 2026, Murkomen said the reservists play a key role in complementing regular police officers in maintaining security in areas that continue to experience incidents of banditry and cattle rustling.
The CS spoke during the passing-out ceremony of 705 newly trained NPRs at the Magado Field Training Camp in Meru County.
The reservists, among them 11 chiefs and seven women, underwent one month of intensive training in firearm handling, field operations, community policing and crime prevention.
Murkomen said the latest training was the first time NPRs drawn from different communities and counties had been trained together in one camp.
According to the CS, the joint training will promote intelligence sharing, cohesion and cooperation among the reservists as they respond to insecurity in their respective areas.
“The newly trained NPRs will help improve our policing capacity, especially in areas that still experience incidents of cattle rustling and banditry,” Murkomen said.
Chiefs armed to boost security
Murkomen said the training and arming of chiefs serving in areas affected by insecurity followed a directive he issued during his Jukwaa la Usalama countrywide tour.
He said the government was strengthening the capacity of NPRs to enable them to work more effectively alongside regular police officers in communities facing security challenges.
The CS also announced measures aimed at improving the welfare of NPRs, saying their allowances are now being paid on time.
The government is also issuing them with uniforms and boots while fast-tracking their enrolment into the Social Health Authority (SHA).
Murkomen said plans were also underway to increase their monthly allowances.
He further announced that all serving NPRs would undergo training within the next eight months as part of efforts to improve their effectiveness.
The ceremony was attended by Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, Deputy Inspector General of Kenya Police Service Eliud Lagat, Deputy Inspector General of Administration Police Service Gilbert Masengeli, National Police College Main Campus Commandant Munga Nyale and Eastern Regional Commissioner Jacob Ouma, among other senior security officials.
