Kisumu: Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen has declared Lake Victoria and Lake Turkana critical front lines in the government’s intensified crackdown on drugs, illicit alcohol, and cross-border crime, announcing plans to urgently strengthen the Kenya Coast Guard’s capacity on the lakes. Speaking in Kisumu after touring the Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS) Regional Headquarters, Murkomen said smugglers were increasingly using the country’s international lakes to ferry contraband goods, exploiting weak patrol capacity and porous borders.
According to Kenya News Agency, Lake Victoria and Lake Turkana have been flagged as significant routes for smuggling drugs and illicit alcohol. CS Murkomen emphasized the importance of the Coast Guard in securing these waters and noted that President William Ruto had designated 2026 as a decisive year in the fight against drugs and alcohol abuse. The CS identified a shortage of patrol boats as a major constraint and announced plans to fast-track the rehabilitation of nine vessels through a partnership with Kenya Shipyard Limited (KSL), an agency under the Ministry of Defence.
Four of the boats are based in Kisumu, while five are in the Coast region. The CS directed that the overhaul be expedited to allow joint lake patrols involving multiple security agencies. This move comes amid rising complaints from fishermen and fish cage investors over harassment by security agencies from neighboring countries, theft of fish, and vandalism of fishing gear on Lake Victoria.
Murkomen also reaffirmed Kenya’s existing cooperation framework with Uganda on joint lake management, stating that Kenya must enhance its enforcement capability to protect livelihoods and maritime resources. The CS announced that at least 200 newly trained officers would be deployed to the Coast Guard from recent recruitments into the Kenya Defence Forces and the National Police Service to address manpower shortages.
Beyond lake security, Murkomen issued a firm warning against police brutality, stating that the government would not tolerate human rights violations by security officers. He mentioned that senior police commanders had been instructed to closely monitor officers accused of excessive force and to act decisively against those found culpable, including removing officers with untreated mental health or substance abuse challenges from service.
Kisumu Governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o, who accompanied the CS, welcomed the renewed focus on lake security, noting that Lake Victoria activities form a significant part of the county’s economy. He highlighted cases where fish cages had been destroyed overnight and called for closer collaboration between security agencies, beach management units, and cage farmers to safeguard investments and boost productivity.
The Coast Guard Service was established in 2018 to secure Kenya’s territorial waters, protect maritime resources, and enhance national security.
