Deputy President Kithure Kindiki delivering his maiden address at Harambee Annex in Nairobi on November 7, 2024.
Kindiki’s Achievements As Interior CS
H.E Kithure Kindiki has had an immense privilege of serving the Country as the Interior Minister since 27th October 2022.
Addressing the press on Thursday evening at Harambee House Annex, Kindiki noted that “Appointment to this role was not only a humbling symbol of confidence by President William Ruto, but also the trust into a most monumental responsibility of providing leadership and coordinating the organs our homeland security.”
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki delivering his maiden address at Harambee Annex in Nairobi on November 7, 2024.
Kindiki took over this sensitive duty at Harambee House at a time when communities in North Eastern Kenya and Lamu were experiencing frequent and sustained terror attacks; marauding bandits had run amok over communities in vast parts of the Northern Rift Valley Region; gang crime was at its peak in Nairobi City; the Kenyan passport production and supply system had all but collapsed and; key homeland security organs were ill-equipped and in dire need of reforms and re-invention.
Kindiki outlined key successes in the security ministry attributing any successes that were achieved to make Kenya safer during the last two years to various ranks of officers and staff of the Ministry.
Kindiki is proud to report that Lamu and North Eastern Kenya are much safer and calmer today than the situation was during the last half of 2022.
“Heavily armed bandits were flushed from the Northern Rift Valley Region in a process that lasted several months. Their outdated gimmicks of taunting security forces and sometimes staging daylight raids were eventually crushed through intelligence-led operations, superior firepower and efficient operational and tactical outputs that resulted in the neutralization of dangerous bandit commanders and their spiritual influencers”
The strides the ministry made in the fight against terrorism, banditry and other organized crimes received a shot in the arm from the Police Equipment Modernisation Programme (PEMP) which was initiated in early 2023 following the orders of President Ruto to modernize the operational and tactical equipment of security agencies.
“The Ksh.37B five-year program is underway, with Ksh.7.6B already spent to acquire Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), Mine Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicles (MRAPs), personal protection equipment for the Police as well as sophisticated weaponry to provide enough firepower to secure the nation.” Explained Kindiki
The passport production and delivery waiting period has been reduced from more than 12 months in 2022 to 7 days at present.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki delivering his maiden address at Harambee Annex in Nairobi on November 7, 2024.
“The passport production and delivery waiting period has been reduced from more than 12 months in 2022 to 7 days at present. The backlog of 724,000 passports has been cleared and the challenge now is to expedite the delivery process to clear the 85,000 uncollected passports that are ready,” Said Kindiki
During his tenure, Kindiki gazetted the National Steering Committee under the leadership of the Principal Secretary for Internal Security with the mandate to ensure full recommendation of the groundbreaking proposals for reforming police, prisons, and youth services to align them with the dictates of the progressive 2010 Constitution and the vision of underwriting the national ideal of securing Kenya from long-term internal and external security threats.
Kindiki lauded President Ruto for allowing him to serve the country as the Interior Minister for two uninterrupted years.
“I am most grateful to the Principal Secretaries and officers of all ranks within the State Departments and other agencies that fall under the Ministry of Interior for great teamwork, support, and encouragement.”
