Murkomen: Government to deploy facial recognition cameras in major cities to fight crime

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has outlined a new security plan that will see expanded use of surveillance cameras and introduction of facial recognition technology across major towns, as the government moves to confront rising cases of organised violence linked to groups commonly described as “goons.”

Speaking during a live interview on Citizen TV on Monday, Murkomen said security agencies are grappling with emerging forms of criminal activity that often begin as loosely organised groups and later develop into structured gangs if not addressed early.

He noted that investigations into recent incidents are still ongoing as authorities respond to violence reported in several parts of the country, including Nakuru.

"Investigations into recent incidents are ongoing," he said while discussing violence in Nakuru and other areas. "This menace of goonism has persisted in our country for far too long, and it has permeated our political culture deeply."

Murkomen said one of the biggest difficulties facing police is that many of those involved in such incidents do not initially appear to be part of organised crime.

He explained that they often present themselves as harmless groups supporting political events before their conduct escalates into violence.

He added that this early stage makes it difficult for security agencies to act decisively before incidents occur, since intelligence gathered alone may not always meet the legal threshold required for arrests and prosecution.

"In the first instance, they are coming, they don't have weapons, they have come to support and they have not caused any violence," he said.

He further said that this pattern of behaviour has complicated policing work because action is often taken only after violence has already happened, limiting the effectiveness of preventive intelligence.

According to the Cabinet Secretary, the government is now working on strengthening surveillance systems in key urban centres by introducing facial recognition technology alongside expanded CCTV coverage.

"We are doing the procurement process," he said. "Part of the work is to see that in Nairobi City, Nakuru, Mombasa, Eldoret, Nyeri and other cities we establish cameras with capacity to do facial recognition."

The targeted cities include Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret and Nyeri, where authorities plan to roll out the upgraded surveillance systems as part of wider security reforms.

Murkomen said the government has studied how other countries use similar systems, citing cities such as New York and London where police databases help investigators identify suspects from video footage captured at crime scenes.

However, he clarified that the technology will not directly be used as courtroom evidence but will instead support investigations by providing leads to security teams.

"The facial recognition technology is not used as evidence per se," he said. "It is helpful as background information from the security investigation side."

The announcement comes at a time when concerns have been raised over incidents involving suspected goon groups in different parts of the country, including attacks reported at Nairobi’s All Saints Cathedral and violence in Nakuru linked to disruptions during an empowerment event organised by Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika, where three people sustained gunshot injuries.

Authorities say investigations into these incidents are still underway as security agencies review patterns of organised violence linked to politically connected groups.