Inside the government’s holiday security blueprint

The Ministry of Interior and National Administration has announced a six-point security strategy to ensure public safety during the festive season, including the recall of all security officers currently on leave and the activation of a national command centre.

In a press release issued Wednesday, December 17, 2025, the Ministry acknowledged that while the overall security situation in the country remains "calm and stable," the holiday period typically brings a rise in travel, social gatherings, and tourism, which can attract opportunistic criminal activities.

To coordinate the response, the government has activated the National Multi-Agency Command Centre (NMACC). 

This centre is operated by a coalition of forces, including the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), National Police Service, National Intelligence Service (NIS), Kenya Prisons Service, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), and the National Youth Service (NYS).

The primary objective of the NMACC is to coordinate surveillance, intelligence sharing, and rapid response operations throughout the holidays. 

Similar coordination centres have been activated at both regional and county levels to improve operational control.

To bolster presence on the ground, the ministry confirmed that all officers previously on leave have resumed duty. 

These teams, drawn from agencies including the Police, Prisons, Forestry Service, and the Kenya Coast Guard Service, have been stationed at critical high-traffic areas. 

Priority locations include airports and border crossings, hotels, shopping malls, and entertainment joints, public beaches and tourist sites, places of worship and critical infrastructure installations.

Additionally, the Ministry of Defence is providing logistical and air support where necessary to secure the country from external threats.

Addressing road safety, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and the Traffic Police Department have launched a nationwide operation to facilitate traffic flow. 

Notably, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has been deployed to monitor enforcement and deter corruption on the roads.

The operation will utilise physical and electronic enforcement measures, and mobile courts will be deployed to handle traffic violations instantly.

The security strategy also includes a nationwide crackdown led by NACADA targeting the trade and abuse of illicit brews and drugs, aiming to cut off the production and sale of dangerous substances.

Simultaneously, security teams are intensifying operations against organised criminal gangs in Nairobi, the Coast, Western, Nyanza, Central, and Eastern regions. 

These measures also extend to addressing cultural and social crimes, such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), defilement, early pregnancies, and religious extremism.

Counter-terrorism preparedness has also been reinforced, with a focus on safeguarding large public gatherings.

The ministry has also issued travel advice to manage congestion.

Motorists travelling from Nairobi to the Western and Nyanza regions are encouraged to use the Nairobi-Suswa-Narok route as an alternative to the Mai Mahiu escarpment. 

Those traveling through the Central region are advised to use the Nairobi-Nyeri-Nyahururu-Nakuru route for smoother travel.

The government also emphasised that public safety is a shared responsibility. 

Members of the public are urged to report suspicious activities or crimes to the nearest police station or via the toll-free hotlines 999, 911, or 112.

Owners of shopping malls and event organisers have also been instructed to work closely with security teams to manage crowds and enhance private security arrangements.