The National Treasury allocated security agencies Sh44.6 billion in July, marking a strong start for the sector in the final year of the government’s term before the 2027 elections.

Treasury released Sh19.4 billion to the Ministry of Defence; the National Police Service (NPS) and the State Department for Internal Security each received Sh9.9 billion, while the National Intelligence Service (NIS) was given Sh5.4 billion.

The funding was a 53 per cent increase from the Sh29.1 billion allocated to the security sector in July last year — the highest monthly increase in a year preceding a general election.

Some State officials have attributed the increase in funding to plans to upgrade police infrastructure and support new administrative units, while others have cited preparations for the elections.

“The increase reflects a number of operational and institutional priorities. First, the government’s police reform and modernisation programme is ongoing, including investments aimed at strengthening police mobility, equipment, infrastructure, technology and general operational capacity,” Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Interior and National Administration Dr Raymond Omollo during the interview with NTV in Nairobi on May 19, 2026.

Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group

Out of the cash, Sh39.7 billion was for funding recurrent activities such as paying salaries and administration costs, while Sh4.9 billion was for development, according to Treasury’s Statement of Actual Revenues and Net Exchequer Issues by end of July.

Recurrent budget

The Ministry of Defence received Sh19.1 billion for recurrent activities, the NPS got Sh9.57 billion, the State Department Sh5.6 billion and NIS Sh5.36 billion.

The funding is a 54 per cent growth from Sh25.7 billion in July 2025. The security sector’s annual recurrent budget has been increased by 24 per cent to Sh494.4 billion.

On the other hand, development funding grew from Sh3.4 billion in July last year to Sh4.9 billion. More than 3/4 of the funding went to the State Department for Internal Security. This is the first time that there has been such an increase in security funding before an election year.

Growth in funding in years preceding past elections has been moderate, averaging at six per cent in July 2021 and -4.7 per cent in July 2016.

Read: Security sector gets boost to Sh463bn, second only to Education, in Sh4.8trn budget

Treasury allocated Sh18.85 billion to the Ministry of Defence, NIS and the State Department for Interior and Citizen Services in July 2022, up from Sh17.78 billion in July 2021.

Ahead of the 2017 elections, Treasury released Sh10.99 billion to the Ministry of Defence, NIS and the State Department for Interior in July 2016, which was lower than the Sh11.5 billion it had allocated in a similar month the previous year.

Overall, the annual budget for the security sector during the year to June 2027 has increased by 26 per cent to Sh510.8 billion, the Treasury’s statement that was published in the Kenya Gazette on August 14 shows.

The Sh106 billion increase in the annual budget is more than four times the amount which was allocated during a similar election year in 2022, and 2.7 times the Sh34.9 billion increase in the fiscal year preceding the 2017 polls.

Some of the figures Treasury has published in the official Kenya Gazette, however, differ with budget documents presented in Parliament.

The National Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee Chairman Samuel Atandi says that while MPs wait to receive quarterly budget reports to interrogate funding to agencies, there has been a need to give more funding to the security sector.

“We have never adequately funded the security sector. We hope that if more resources become available, we can propose even more funding because this is going to be a very critical year due to the upcoming elections,” Mr Atandi said.

The Alego Usonga MP reckoned that Parliament does not decide how Treasury releases cash after passing the budget, but noted that there were minimal increases for the security sector in the current budget.

For his part, PS Omollo said all the cash released to dockets under him was approved by Parliament.

“Part of the funding was earmarked through Authorities to Incur Expenditure to support the operationalisation of newly established administrative units and support national government administration structures at the grassroots,” the PS said.

“The budget also took into account the stipend for village administrative elders, following their formal recognition and integration into the national government administration framework,” he added.

The NPS did not specify where an additional Sh20 billion allocation in the current fiscal year will be utilised. Instead, it referred the Nation to “financial mandarins at the NPS, Treasury and Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security.”

In July, the NPS received Sh9.9 billion, which was an increase of Sh1.68 billion from the amount it got in a similar month last year.

Police Spokesperson Nyaga Muchiri said: “A justification for such ‘upward revision’ must have been done. We should not forget the passing-out parade of newly minted police constables starting this week after nine months of training.”

National Police Service Spokesperson Michael Nyaga Muchiri during an interview at his Jogoo House office in Nairobi.

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

Some 10,000 officers are scheduled to graduate from the Kenya National Police College Main Campus in Kiganjo, Nyeri County on August 28. It is not clear whether part of the increased funding to the NPS would cater for that event.

In the budget books for the current financial year, Treasury says the NPS spent Sh250 billion over the three years to June 2025, the Ministry of Defence spent Sh474.2 billion over the same period, NIS spent Sh147 billion and the State Department for Internal Security Sh88.8 billion.

Should the security sector spend Sh510 billion as budgeted in the current year, this will be more than half (53 per cent) of the amount spent over three years.

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“During the medium-term expenditure period FY 2026/27 to FY 2028/29, the NPS aims to strategically allocate its resources towards police modernisation, recruitment of 30,000 police officers and 3,210 non-uniformed officers, operationalisation of the NPS Referral Hospital and upgrade of National Police leadership Academy to a university,” budget documents state.

“During the medium-term period FY 2026/27 - 2028/29, the service will seek to provide timely and actionable intelligence and conduct effective intelligence in order to secure and protect the nation,” the budget documents state on NIS.

Other government agencies with high budgetary allocations have not had similar increases in funding.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC), which receives the most cash among all individual budget entities, is scheduled to get Sh424.25 billion this year, which is three per cent higher than the allocation it got last year.

The commission received Sh33.5 billion in July, compared to Sh33.4 billion in a similar month last year.

KIEMS kits

The State Department for Basic Education, which was allocated Sh132.7 billion last year, is scheduled to receive Sh136.6 billion during the year to June 2027, while the State Department for Higher Education has a Sh163.9 billion allocation, which is 1.5 per cent higher than last year.

In the health sector, the State Department for Medical Services has an annual budget of Sh133.4 billion in the current fiscal year, up from Sh127.2 billion last year.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), which will conduct the August 2027 General Election, has an allocation of Sh25 billion, which is nearly double the Sh13 billion it received in the previous fiscal year.

“In the FY 2026/27 and the medium term, the commission intends to strategise and prepare election operation plan that will guide the election process, conduct enhanced voter registration and voter verification, undertake stakeholder engagements, publicity and voter education, conduct nominations, procure election materials such as ballot papers and ballot boxes, upgrade technology and purchase KIEMS kits for the new polling stations and damaged kits,” budget documents state.

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pmburu@ke.nationmedia.com