A section of police officers has asked the Interior Cabinet Secretary, Kipchumba Murkomen, to consider replacing their vehicle model due to logistical concerns, including the possibility of prisoners escaping.
Speaking during the Jukwaa la Usalama forum in Murang’a County on Wednesday, Chief Inspector Albert Kipchumba, the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Kenol Police Station, made a passionate appeal to the CS, urging the ministry to consider replacing Mahindra vehicles with Toyota Land Cruisers.
The OCS explained that the access route to the Maranjau Prison was in a very dilapidated state. They warned that this posed a serious risk of prisoners escaping during transit because the Mahindra vehicles were so slow.
“Our vehicle sometimes carries up to 22 prisoners at a speed of just 10 kilometres per hour. This is extremely risky in terms of potential escape and breakdowns,” the officer explained.
The OCS went ahead to explain that the terrain leading to the prison was not compatible with Mahindra vehicles since they were mechanically unsuitable for the region’s terrain.
“Every time we use the Mahindra, we face difficulties. It cannot carry enough prisoners, and its four-wheel drive system struggles on the kind of soil we have in Murang’a South,” Kipchumba explained.
The OCS added that the station’s efficiency is compromised due to frequent vehicle failures, which delay prisoner transfers, apprehension, and other station responsibilities.
“We are kindly requesting for Toyota Land Cruisers for our area,’’ the OCS requested.
Murang’a South is known for its hilly landscape and clay-rich soil, which poses a risk to the functionality of police stations in the region during the rainy season.
In response, the CS revealed that the Ministry was already addressing the issue by planning to issue new vehicles to all police officers in the country.
Murkomen revealed that the government is in the final stages of procuring vehicles for the National Police Service, national government administrators, and prison officers to enhance service delivery.
“We hope it can be closed in a month or two, by October, latest, November,” Murkomen said, referring to the procurement process.
