NAIROBI — Kenya’s government plans to establish police posts near universities and colleges in an effort to tackle drug abuse, violence, and insecurity on campuses.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the move would bring security services closer to students, who he admitted had often been overlooked in national policing plans.
“There are all manner of things happening in our colleges and universities: drugs, insecurity, violence,” Mr Murkomen said during the Jukwaa la Usalama forum in Nairobi on Thursday. “We want student leaders and deans of students involved directly in security meetings so that when it comes to issues such as drug abuse, they are working together with the police.”
The initiative is part of a wider reform programme aimed at strengthening ties between police, administrators, and communities. Local residents and other stakeholders will also be invited to monthly security forums to address emerging threats, according to the minister.
Concerns about drugs on campus have grown sharply in recent years. Last month, the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) reported seizing cannabis worth an estimated 5 million shillings during a raid on student hostels in Homa Bay County. Two suspects were arrested, and the agency vowed to step up operations in university towns.
NACADA’s latest report painted a troubling picture: more than 30 percent of university students admitted to using cannabis, while nearly 40 percent reported frequent use of alcohol and tobacco. The agency said access to narcotics within and around campuses has risen significantly over the past three years.
For many students, the issue has become a daily reality. University administrators have raised concerns over rising cases of violence and substance abuse, warning that it is undermining learning environments.
Mr Murkomen insisted that the new measures are designed not just as a policing response but as a way to build trust between students and law enforcement. “We want them to have a direct relationship with security teams,” he said.
The announcement has sparked debate over how best to balance security with students’ rights and freedoms. While some education officials have welcomed the plan as overdue, civil society groups have urged the government to prioritise prevention and rehabilitation alongside enforcement.
As Kenya expands its university network to meet growing demand for higher education, the question of safety has moved higher up the agenda. For students arriving on campuses each year, the government’s plan will be judged not by promises made in Nairobi but by whether classrooms and dormitories feel any safer in the months ahead.
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