NAIROBI, Kenya Jun 24 – The government is planning to roll out a facial recognition surveillance system across six major cities in a Sh25 billion project aimed at identifying and tracking individuals accused of infiltrating public protests and engaging in violence.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the system is in the final stages of procurement and is expected to be deployed within the next three to six months as part of efforts to strengthen national security and crowd monitoring.

He said the technology will be integrated into a central command system linking surveillance cameras to national identity databases, allowing authorities to quickly identify individuals involved in property destruction and other criminal activity during demonstrations.

Murkomen estimated the total cost of the project would range between Sh22 billion and Sh25 billion, adding that the implementation could be staggered through phased financing and partnerships with the private sector.

The Interior CS said the initiative has been prompted by recurring incidents of violence during protests, where groups described as hired “goons” have been accused of looting businesses and destroying property alongside peaceful demonstrators.

He said the government has faced long-standing challenges in dealing with what he termed “goonism,” which he claimed has evolved over time and become embedded in parts of the political landscape.

Murkomen distinguished between organized criminal gangs and what he described as loosely coordinated groups hired temporarily for political purposes, saying the latter often blend into crowds before engaging in violence when incentivised.

“These individuals may appear harmless at first, but once mobilised, they engage in criminal acts within demonstrations,” he said.

He added that, if left unchecked, such groups could evolve into more structured criminal networks over time.

The CS also compared the current situation with established criminal gangs operating in different parts of the country, noting that some are involved in drug trafficking and land invasions, while others are primarily used to disrupt public gatherings and commercial activity.

On policing during demonstrations, Murkomen said officers are often forced to prioritize crowd safety and avoid direct confrontation in situations where they are heavily outnumbered, instead relying on reinforcement and coordinated response operations.

He further explained that intelligence gathered on suspected organizers or financiers of violence is primarily used for operational planning and cannot on its own support immediate prosecution without a full evidentiary chain.

As Kenya prepares for the June 25 protest anniversary, the Cabinet Secretary assured that the government will not restrict media coverage or shut down communication networks during the demonstrations.

“As a matter of principle, we have no right, duty or capacity to close any media house,” he said.

However, he urged media houses to exercise responsibility in their coverage, warning against what he termed inflammatory reporting that could escalate tensions.

Murkomen said the right to peaceful assembly is protected under the Constitution but stressed that acts of destruction, arson and looting fall outside constitutional protections and should be reported accurately as criminal activity.

The planned surveillance rollout is expected to be one of the most significant security technology investments in recent years as authorities seek to curb violence linked to political demonstrations.