The government has intensified its grassroots security operations in Mombasa, directing National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs) to step up the fight against drug trafficking, organised crime and violent extremism while expanding access to government services.
Speaking during a meeting with NGAOs in Mombasa on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration Dr Raymond Omollo said the county’s strategic position as home to the Port of Mombasa makes its security critical to Kenya’s economic growth, tourism, trade and investment.
Dr Omollo instructed County Commissioners, Deputy County Commissioners, Assistant County Commissioners, Chiefs, Assistant Chiefs and Village Elders to strengthen intelligence gathering, community policing and collaboration with security agencies and local communities to tackle criminal gangs and drug trafficking networks.
“Mombasa is one of Kenya’s most important economic hubs. Whatever happens here affects not only the Coast region but the entire country. We must therefore safeguard peace and security to create an environment where businesses thrive, investments grow, tourists visit and our people access economic opportunities,” he said.
The PS described drug and substance abuse as one of the greatest threats facing young people, saying traffickers continue to exploit vulnerable youth for profit, undermining families, communities and the country’s future workforce.
He called for closer cooperation among communities, the National Police Service, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the Judiciary, schools, religious leaders and parents to dismantle drug trafficking networks and support prevention and rehabilitation efforts.
Dr Omollo urged Village Elders, Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs to identify drug hotspots and work closely with communities to protect young people from addiction and crime, emphasising that the fight against drugs is a shared responsibility.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening grassroots administration through the operationalisation of all gazetted administrative units, noting that effective service delivery and security begin at the village level.
According to the PS, Village Elders working alongside Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs have become an integral part of the government’s security architecture through community policing, the Nyumba Kumi initiative, conflict resolution and mobilisation of wananchi for government programmes.
Beyond security, Dr Omollo said NGAOs play a key role in coordinating government programmes, resolving disputes, responding to emergencies and ensuring communities benefit from national development initiatives under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
He added that sectors such as agriculture, affordable housing, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), healthcare, the digital economy and the Blue Economy can only flourish in a stable and secure environment.
On education, the PS said the government has allocated KSh787.4 billion to the sector in the current national budget, the largest allocation in the budget, and urged administrators to work with parents and schools to sustain enrolment, improve retention and support skills development through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
Dr Omollo also commended Mombasa County for achieving 83 per cent registration under the Social Health Authority (SHA), describing it as one of the best-performing counties in the country. He said the achievement demonstrated the importance of collaboration between NGAOs, the county government and the Ministry of Health in expanding access to affordable healthcare.
On access to identification documents, the PS directed NGAOs to intensify the registration and collection of national identity cards, saying no eligible Kenyan should be left behind.
“I urge all our County Commissioners, Deputy County Commissioners, Assistant County Commissioners, Chiefs, Assistant Chiefs and Village Elders to ensure that no eligible Kenyan is left behind in acquiring a National Identity Card,” he said.
Dr Omollo noted that the government had recently engaged leaders from across the Coast region to address challenges affecting the issuance of identity documents and said the success of the exercise depended largely on the commitment of NGAOs at the grassroots.
He concluded by commending NGAOs for their professionalism and dedication to public service and assured them of continued government support through improved facilitation, capacity building and operational assistance to enhance peace, security and service delivery across the country.
Coast Regional Commissioner Paul Rotich, Mombasa County Commissioner Mohammed Hassan and members of the Regional and County Security Intelligence Committees attended the meeting.
Read: 4.7 Million Kenyans Using Drugs as Government Declares War on Rising Substance Abuse
>>> Govt Steps Up Multi-Agency Crackdown on Illicit Drugs and Alcohol in Mombasa
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