Aasai

Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen has criticised journalists for questioning his remarks suggesting that police officers can ask citizens for fuel for their vehicles when they are called to security agencies. Speaking amid public outrage, Murkomen stood by his comments, dismissing claims that such requests amounted to bribery. 

He stressed that officers are often stranded due to fuel shortages before the end of the month. "Is it news that police fuel is running out for a long time before the end of the month? It is public information, the allocation we give to our police is 450 litres...then the police said that fuel is creating corruption...lets stop being ignorant," said CS. 

comment and turning the funding challenge into a corruption scandal. "I was seeing some people writing in newspapers that Murkomen is encouraging corruption by telling them to support police officers, fuel for their vehicles. Is that a story? It is as if some of these people writing newspapers have never interacted with police officers," he said. The minister stood by his previous stance, saying it was not unusual for police vehicles to run out of fuel in the middle of the month, which he claimed was due to budget constraints.

 "Lets be sensible too; the fuel is gone, its 450 litres, what else did you want a police officer to say?" However, Murkomen revealed that the government is already moving towards resolving the issue, citing ongoing discussions with the Treasury to increase the monthly fuel allocation for police vehicles from 450 litres to 650 litres. 

During his talks with local security officers, Murkomen urged police commanders to hold regular meetings with local communities to build trust, improve service delivery, and strengthen security coordination.

 Murkomen has defended police officers who have been asking for fuel from the public, saying such requests should not be considered corruption. Speaking at the Security Forum in Homa Bay on Tuesday, Murkomen explained that the government allocates 450 litres of fuel per police vehicle every month, an amount he says is less than the operational requirements of most stations. He says the allocation is often reduced before the end of the month, especially in urban areas where officers are more involved in crime prevention.

At the same time, Murkomen sounded a stern warning to chiefs handling defilement cases in kangaroo courts, terming the practice illegal and detrimental to society.He said any chiefs found shielding perpetrators or those personally involved in such crimes will not only be dismissed but also prosecuted.