The move by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to defend police officers who ask Kenyans for 'fuel' money before responding to emergencies has drawn criticism from civil society, community leaders, and some lawyers.
On Tuesday, Mr Murkomen said that the practice is not a crime, but rather a consequence of inadequate fuel allocations.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen meets police officers at the county commissioner’s office in Homa Bay on September 16, 2025.
Photo credit: George Odiwuor | Nation
The CS explained that many police stations run out of fuel before the end of the month, grounding vehicles and forcing officers to seek help from the public.
“Let us not sugarcoat this issue. The reason why police officers ask for fuel is because of our leasing programme, where each vehicle gets a fixed quantity of fuel every month,” said Mr Murkomen during the Jukwaa la Usalama meeting in Homa Bay.
Under the programme, every police vehicle is allocated 450 litres of diesel or petrol monthly. According to the CS, most vehicles exhaust this within three weeks.
“Some cars run out of fuel in as little as 18 days because of daily operations such as ferrying suspects from remand to court and back to prison. When our officers tell Kenyans they have no fuel, many assume they are asking for bribes. But that is not true,” he said.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Gilbert Masengeli and Nyanza Regional Commissioner Flora Mworoa in Homa Bay on September 16, 2025.
Photo credit: George Odiwuor | Nation
Mr Murkomen added that in some regions, officers drive long distances to refuel, consuming significant amounts in the process.
“By the time they return and begin operations, the tanks are already low. For the rest of the month, vehicles remain parked at the station waiting for refill,” he said.
The CS announced plans to increase monthly allocations from 450 litres to 650 litres per vehicle and to identify new fuelling points closer to police stations.
“Expansive counties will have more refuelling stations to cut travel distances. This will reduce wastage and ensure vehicles remain operational,” he said.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen engages residents of Homa Bay town when he attended a security meeting on September 16, 2025.
Photo credit: George Odiwuor | Nation
But Homa Bay Bunge La Wenye Nchi leader Walter Opiyo accused rogue officers of misusing fuel for personal errands.
“Government vehicles are meant to serve Kenyans. Some officers use them for personal business, only to get stuck during emergencies,” he said.
Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims official Nuhu Masoud defended the officers, saying many stations operate under dilapidated conditions with inadequate resources.
“They dedicate their time to help citizens yet remain unappreciated. Corruption in the police service is a perception created by Kenyans,” he argued.
Legal experts, however, warned that asking for money from citizens risks crossing into corruption.
Lawyer Charles Kanjama said police services are funded by taxpayers and should not come at an extra cost.
“When money is solicited from the public, it often ends up in personal pockets. That is corruption,” he said.
He acknowledged that in rare emergencies, citizens may step in to help with fuel if procurement processes delay. “But this should not be normalised otherwise it becomes graft,” he added.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Gilbert Masengeli, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, police and other officials arrive at the county commissioner's office in Homa Bay for a security briefing on September 16, 2025.
Photo credit: George Odiwuor | Nation
Lawyer Anthony Oguttu from Homa Bay said that policing is a public service. “Citizens should not be forced to pay for services meant to be free,” he said.
During the meeting, officers and administrators also raised complaints about working in dilapidated offices and a shortage of operational vehicles.
Mr Murkomen assured them that procurement of new security vehicles is underway and pledged special support for officers serving in island and hard-to-reach areas.
