Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o, together with County Commissioner Mohammed Bunguso, on Wednesday addressed a press conference during which they announced measures to be adopted by the county security team to combat rising insecurity in Kisumu.

The county security team, led jointly by the governor and county commissioner, unveiled a six-point resolution aimed at addressing and containing the growing security concerns across the county.

The first measure focuses on regulation of political gatherings and elimination of “goonism” by ensuring adequate security during public functions upon request as well as strengthening overall security deployment across the county.

Secondly, the team committed to sanitising public transport sector, particularly matatu operations, to ensure safety and accessibility for all citizens. This will be achieved through collaboration between the county government, transport SACCOs and national security agencies, who will launch operations to remove criminal elements from the sector.

Thirdly, the county government will enforce strict regulation and registration of businesses operating within Kisumu County, including the withdrawal of licences and permits from enterprises linked to criminal activities.

Fourthly, the security team announced plans to institutionalise community policing through village and neighbourhood committees aimed at improving intelligence gathering and promoting proactive policing. The committees will serve as structured liaison frameworks between local communities and national security agencies to enhance trust and ensure swift response to emerging threats.

Fifthly, the team plans to leverage modern technology to strengthen urban security through deployment of an expanded CCTV network across residential estates, business zones and public areas.

The system is expected to provide real-time monitoring and data to assist law enforcement agencies in identifying, tracking and prosecuting criminal suspects.

The final measure involves accelerated rehabilitation and expansion of street lighting infrastructure, with a focus on improving safety in hotspots, informal settlements and major transport corridors.

The team noted that improved lighting would help extend economic activity hours and deter criminal activity.

However, the security team raised concern over continued vandalism of installed streetlights by criminal elements, saying such acts undermine efforts to improve safety.

They announced plans to install more than 1,500 solar-powered streetlights integrated with CCTV cameras, alongside over 80 floodlights by December.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Milton Onyango and Robert Onyango