Govt to ease Turkana curfews following security gains » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 16 – The Government is set to review the curfews imposed in parts of Turkana over the past three years and consider easing current limitations, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has said.

He made the commitment during a closed-door regional and county security meeting held during the Jukwaa la Usalama tour of the county.

The CS noted that the return of relative calm in disturbed areas—particularly Turkana South and East—has made the review necessary.

“I will be reviewing the curfew timing based on the security briefing to give locals more time as we monitor the situation. In three months, if the conditions improve, we might consider lifting the orders,” Murkomen said during a media briefing in Lodwar.

The review will adjust the curfew hours to run from 10pm to 4am for both the March 2025 Kakuma-Kalobeyei curfew and the February 2023 Kainuk ‘Maliza Uhalifu’ directive.

The curfew and movement restrictions were initially imposed in response to security concerns, aimed at restoring peace and order in the region—particularly in the Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei settlement.

The curfew along the Kainuk–Lodwar road has remained in force, leading to mounting complaints from local residents and business owners.

Murkomen also addressed a wide range of issues, including refugee status and the implementation of the Shirika Plan, National Police Reservist (NPR) reforms, banditry, boundary and border disputes, and human-wildlife conflict.

He noted that Turkana, one of Kenya’s largest counties by landmass, is home to a vast population and grapples with complex and persistent security challenges.

Other issues raised included drug and substance abuse and mental health struggles among the youth—challenges the CS attributed in part to the region’s porous borders.