Sh294bn to tighten security ahead of next year’s polls
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i inspects a guard of honour on December 16, 2019, during a passout parade of police officers who underwent a standardisation course at the Kiganjo police college.
What you need to know:
- Yatani’s budget has been seen to prioritise allocation to ensure a peaceful poll.
- The Judiciary gets the short end of the stick with as the annual budgetary allocation continues to receive cuts.
With slightly over a year to the General Election, the government has prioritised having a peaceful poll over other justice and governance matters.
In his budget statement yesterday, Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani slashed allocations to the military and the National Intelligence Service (NIS) while increasing the money allocated to the Interior Ministry.
Also getting the short end of the stick is the Judiciary whose annual budgetary allocation continued to receive cuts giving the new Chief Justice Martha Koome a tough start in her new position.
In total, CS Yatani has allocated Sh370 billion for the provision of security, governance and justice in the country next year.
The National Police Service, intelligence and the military will collectively receive Sh294 billion which is the biggest chunk of the money.
"Mr Speaker, the proposed allocations include Sh119.8 billion for defence, Sh42.5 billion for the National Intelligence Service, Sh110.6 billion for policing and Prisons Services, Sh10.7 billion for leasing of police motor vehicles and Sh1 billion for the police modernisation programme," said the CS.
Reduced funding
"Mr Speaker, to step up war on crime and enhance support to administration of justice, I have set aside Sh1.5 billion for the National Communication and Surveillance System; and Sh335 million to equip the National Forensic Laboratory,” said the CS.
Allocations for the police, which fall within the Interior ministry, have risen by Sh6 billion while the budgets for the Correctional Services have risen by over Sh2.5 billion.
Military allocation that has consistently soared in the recent past has been slashed by about Sh2.5 billion. Also on the chopping board is the allocations of the National Intelligence Services whose funding has been reduced by Sh3 billion.
"Mr. Speaker, other allocations include Sh4.8 billion for medical insurance for the National Police Service and Prisons; Sh2.3 billion for the group personal insurance for National Police Service and Prisons as well as Sh1 billion for the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIMS)," said the CS.
NIMS which is the back bone of the Huduma Number is set to be ramped up as the digital card is set to replace the ID by the end of the year. It is however puzzling that the allocation for the acquisition of the national IDs, which are being phased out, has been allocated Sh900 million.
Meanwhile the Judiciary will get Sh17.9 billion.
