Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has disclosed the fate of a police Officer Commanding Station (OCS) who attended his Jukwaa La Usalama forum in Migori while intoxicated.

Speaking after the incident, Murkomen expressed disappointment over the officer’s conduct, terming it unusual and unacceptable.

“It was unfortunate that the OCS came to the meeting yesterday drunk. I don’t think that it is very normal for someone to come all the way to the headquarters for a discussion with the CS and IG while drunk and sit in front. It is not normal and there must be some problem with the officer,” Murkomen said.

The Cabinet Secretary outlined the procedure being followed to address the matter, beginning with medical and psychological assessments.

“The procedure is to first assess the mental health of the officer, do the necessary medical tests and follow on the history of the officer. Some cases are just indisciplined, where this is the case the disciplinary procedures will take place. The assessment is ongoing,” he explained.

Mental Health or Indiscipline?

Murkomen emphasized that if the issue is linked to mental health, the officer will be handled with appropriate care and support.

“If it is a mental health problem, it will also be handled like a mental health challenge,” he stated.

He added that any rehabilitation or reassignment would require restructuring to ensure continuity of command at the station.

“Of course, that requires some level of reorganization to get another officer to do the commanding work and maybe redeployment of the officer after rehabilitation to perform other duties,” Murkomen said.

CS Clarifies His Roles

At the same time, the CS warned that the case should not be seen as an excuse for police officers to report to duty under the influence of alcohol.

“This is not an excuse for police officers to come to work drunk. This is only if we establish that the officer has reached a stage where it is a mental health problem,” he cautioned.

Murkomen further clarified that the decision on disciplinary measures would ultimately rest with the National Police Service (NPS).

“If it was just a drunk for the sake of it, then of course the NPS will take the relevant disciplinary measures. The Office of the CS does not have powers to discipline a police officer,” he said.

The Jukwaa La Usalama forums are part of Murkomen’s national security engagements, aimed at strengthening cooperation between security agencies and the public in addressing emerging threats and challenges.

Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen. PHOTO/Murkomen X