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Nyeri MP against proposal to move Kiganjo Police Training College to Baringo
31st December, 2025 11:46 AM
Nyeri Town Member of Parliament Duncan Mathenge has raised strong objections to proposals to relocate or downgrade the Kiganjo Police Training College, warning that such a move would strip Nyeri County of a key national institution and the economic benefits that come with it.
Speaking in Nyeri on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, Mathenge said concerns had been raised by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen’s pronouncement suggesting the establishment of a permanent police training college in Baringo, which has fuelled fears that Kiganjo could be moved or sidelined.
“We cannot allow the national resource that is Kiganjo Police Training College to be taken away from Nyeri without clarity. If the intention is to establish a third police training college, then that must be stated clearly. If Kiganjo is being downgraded or relocated, Kenyans and especially the people of Nyeri deserve the truth,” Mathenge said.
Kiganjo Police Training College, located in Nyeri Town Constituency, is the oldest police training institution in the country, having been established during the colonial era. Mathenge argued that any attempt to diminish its role would amount to denying Nyeri residents their rightful share of national resources.
The legislator also faulted the National Police Service Commission for centralising procurement for the college from Nyeri to Nairobi, saying the decision had disadvantaged local suppliers who hold valid framework agreements and are reportedly owed large sums of money for previous supplies.
“There is no justification for removing procurement from Nyeri and taking it to Nairobi when local suppliers have the capacity and have supported this institution for years. National institutions must support local economies, not weaken them.”
Mathenge noted that Kiganjo operates on an annual recurrent budget of more than Ksh1.6 billion, funds he said should partly benefit the surrounding community through local sourcing and services.
He further highlighted long-standing safety concerns linked to the college’s shooting range, citing incidents of stray bullets damaging homes and injuring livestock in nearby residential areas.
“The people of Nyeri have lived with these risks for years and have never been compensated,” he said. “If certain components like the shooting range need to be relocated for safety reasons, that is something we can support. But removing the entire institution from Nyeri is unacceptable.”
The Nyeri Town MP has now called on CS Murkomen to issue a clear clarification on the future of Kiganjo Police Training College.
“We need clarity in black and white on the fate of Kiganjo. Any attempt to quietly relocate or downgrade it will have consequences,” he said.
On his part, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has clarified that there are no intentions to close the institution, but it will be one of the campuses of the National Police University that will be established.
He said that during the Jukwaa la Usalama meetings, Kenyans noted that nine months of training is not enough for the officers, and hence the need to establish centres in challenging terrains where the officers will go for practicals after the class training.
