Treasury boosts security budget to Sh377.5bn for enhanced national safety and border protection

The National Treasury has allocated a total of Sh377.5 billion towards enhancing security in the country and along its borders, an improvement from the previous financial year's allocation of Sh338.2 billion.

Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung'u said Sh173.1billion of the kitty has been allocated to the Ministry of Defence, Sh110.6billion the operations of the National Police Service, Sh46.3billion to the National Intelligence Service, and Sh32.7billion to the National Prisons Service.

"Enhanced National security creates an enabling environment for businesses to thrive while aiding faster economic recovery," said Prof Ndung'u while reading the budget highlights for the financial year 2024/25.

In addition, another Sh13.9 billion has been allocated to the police vehicle leasing programme and modernization programme as well as another Sh918.4 million towards the equipment of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations' Forensics lab.

Despite having opened two years ago, the DCI lab remains largely unequipped, a factor that dragged the Shakahola massacre probe.

At the same time, the State Department for Internal Security and National Administration has been allocated Sh36.15 billion for its operations in the financial year 2024/2025.

The Immigration Department has been allocated Sh15.18 billion majority of which will go towards the digitisation of citizen services designed to streamline and shorten waiting times and make government services more accessible through digital platforms.

Sh7.03 billion of the amount will be spent on procuring two high-capacity passport printers, designating 48,000 refugees from urban centres to designated camps, and installing facial recognition systems in nine one-stop border posts among others.

A brief on the ministry's allocations shows that the government plans to spend Sh15.18 billion to equip 283 sub-county offices with modern ICT equipment.

"The State Department will also spend a total of Sh19.57 billion on administration and support services, including the establishment of 26 ports of entry and exits with joint operation centres and training of 300 of officers securing the country's borders."

The budget will also cover the digitisation of firearms licencing records, operations of the Kenya Coast Guard Service and mitigating disasters as a result of climate change as well as security operations to curb the proliferation of illegal small arms and light weapons.

At the same time, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and the National Peacebuilding Directorate have been allocated Sh627 million to run peace-building and conflict-resolution programmes and investigate all cases of hate speech.

The probation and aftercare services have been allocated  Sh2.3 billion.

In addition, the Government Chemist has been allocated a total of Sh541 million for scientific case analyses throughout the year.

Another Sh1.4 billion has been set aside for policy coordination services, including the campaign against drug abuse targeting school children, teachers and parents as well as counselling services for drug abuse victims.

"The Public Benefit Regulatory Authority will receive Sh192 million next financial year to support registration and regulation of charitable institutions," the brief adds.

During President William Ruto's inaugural budget, the Ministry of Defence received the lion's share of Sh144.9 billion followed by the National Police Service with Sh98.6 billion.

The NIS was allocated Sh44.3 billion and the Prisons Service received Sh31.3 billion.

Sh8.8 billion went to the leasing of police vehicles and another Sh500 million was allocated for the modernisation of police equipment.