Treasury allocates Sh591.2 billion to strengthen national security in 2026/27 budget
Treasury has increased funding for defence, police and intelligence services to Sh591.2 billion in the 2026/27 budget, citing the need to strengthen.
Treasury has set aside Sh591.2 billion for national security in the 2026/27 budget, boosting funding for defence, police and intelligence services. (Photo: PCS)
The National Treasury has allocated a total of Sh591.2 billion to national security in the 2026/27 financial year, citing the need to address pressing security challenges and support economic growth through a stable environment.
The bulk of the proposed funding will go to the Ministry of Defence and the National Police Service.
“A safe and stable environment is indispensable for development, trade and economic growth. I therefore propose Sh252.1 billion for defence, Sh144.7 billion for the National Police Service, Sh64 billion for the National Intelligence Service, Sh63.9 billion for Internal Security and National Administration and Sh42.6 billion for Prisons Services allocations that will strengthen national security and uphold the rule of law,” Treasury CS John Mbadi said while reading the budget statement in Parliament on Thursday afternoon.
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Mbadi further outlined additional interventions in the security sector, including Sh13 billion for the leasing of police vehicles programme, Sh7 billion for police modernisation, Sh1 billion for equipping the national forensics laboratory, and Sh3.9 billion in stipends for village elders.
He said the stipend is intended to enhance local administrative capacity and recognise the role played by village elders in addressing security and other societal challenges.
While appearing before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security to scrutinise the 2026/27 budget estimates last month, Internal Security Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said the country has about 110,000 village elders supporting the national government at the grassroots level.
He added that the ministry has proposed a plan to pay each elder a monthly stipend of Sh3,000.
“The conversation about village elders began in 2016, and the House actually gave directions to the ministry. It has taken almost 10 years to get us here,” the PS said.
Security allocations have been rising steadily over the past three years.
In the 2025/26 financial year, the Treasury allocated a total of Sh464.9 billion to the National Police Service, Defence, the National Intelligence Service, and the Prisons Service.
In the 2024 budget, national security was allocated Sh377.5 billion, an increase of Sh87.4 billion compared to the previous year.
That year, the breakdown included Sh202.3 billion for the Defence Ministry, Sh125.7 billion for the National Police Service, Sh51.4 billion for the National Intelligence Service, Sh32.5 billion for Internal Security and National Administration, and Sh38.1 billion for the Prisons Service.
The Treasury also proposed Sh10 billion for the lease financing of police motor vehicles, Sh3.6 billion for police modernisation, and Sh1.1 billion for the modernisation of national forensic facilities.