The construction of more than 20 newly gazetted sub-county headquarters is one of the beneficiaries of the Sh6.5 billion additional allocation to the development budget for the State of Internal Security and National Administration.
Other projects that will benefit from the fresh allocation in the Supplementary Budget for the financial year 2023/24 include the refurbishment of the 290 sub-county offices, the national secure communication and surveillance system, and the National Police Service modernisation programme.
Internal Security’s development budget has been increased from Sh1.18 to Sh7.17 billion in the current financial year, with the additional funds also going to the National Computer and Cybercrimes Coordination Committee.
A presentation by Interior PS Raymond Omollo to the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Affairs showed that the money would also be used to construct deputy county commissioners’ offices as well as the expansion of the Government Chemist laboratory in Nairobi and Mombasa.
The document from the National Treasury indicated that the Sh6.5 billion was for the purchase of specialised plants, equipment, and machinery.
The Treasury, in response to the Business Daily queries, said the allocation was for the police modernisation equipment before asking us to reach out to Dr Omollo.
The PS, however, did not respond to our question on which security equipment the additional Sh6.5 billion was supposed to purchase.
The fresh allocation brought in the Supplementary Budget means that it amounts to emergency spending for which the Treasury is seeking approval from the National Assembly.
President William Ruto, in his State of the Nation Address, said the government would expand enrollment in the National Youth Service to capture more Kenyans at the bottom.
“Consequently, we are doubling enrolment to 40,000 in the Service from next year, and have made it absolutely mandatory that every village, centre, town, and city in Kenya is properly represented in the recruitment,” said Ruto on Thursday.
“To consolidate this proposition, we have directed that 80% of future recruits to all our national security services will be from among the well-trained, talented, and committed young men and women who have undergone training at NYS,” added the head of state.
