The Kenyan government, through Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, has proposed deploying National Intelligence Service (NIS) officers in universities to enhance security and maintain order. Speaking on February 13 during the launch of a NACADA report on drug abuse in universities, Murkomen highlighted the importance of addressing emerging challenges within higher learning institutions.

Murkomen recalled that, in the past, some individuals posing as students were actually intelligence officers who played a key role in monitoring illegal activities. “In the past, we were told that some of these students are not actually students; they are police officers. Why don’t we go back there, IG, and make sure that we have intelligence officers working within the universities and with students to get proper intelligence and interventions,” he said.

The Interior CS raised concerns about “career students” who have overstayed in universities, suggesting that some could be involved in illegal activities while pretending to pursue their studies. “We know students who have been in the university forever. They are very rich, influential, and in student leadership, yet they do no legitimate business,” Murkomen noted, calling for investigations into such cases.

Murkomen urged Inspector General Douglas Kanja to collaborate with university administrators and law enforcement to implement this strategy. He also directed law enforcement to strengthen their presence around major universities like Kenyatta University and those in Nairobi and Rongai.

The NACADA report revealed alarming statistics, with alcohol being the most accessible substance at 87.3%. Murkomen emphasized the need for inter-agency efforts to ensure a safer learning environment, warning that students overstaying without clear reasons would face scrutiny.

Stay updated with Nairobian for more on this developing story.