Underfunding will significantly impede effective service delivery of National Government functions at the counties, the completion of ongoing projects, and the sustenance of ongoing security operations across the country, the Security Committee tells.
The Principal Administrative Secretary, State Department for Internal Security and National Administration, Ms. Anne Ngetich, revealed that the department has a cumulative resource requirement of Ksh. 59,002.9 million against a Budget Policy Statement allocation of Ksh. 37,508.8 million.
“The State Department notes it has a budget shortfall of Ksh. 16,433.85 million in recurrent expenditure and Ksh. 5,060.25 million in development expenditure. This shortfall will significantly impede effective service delivery.”In a session chaired by Narok West MP, Hon. Gabriel Tongoyo, it was noted that the department had proposed to implement 60 projects in the FY 2025/26, with a cost implication of Ksh. 12,045 million.
However, due to the allocation of Ksh. 6,985 million in the BPS, the State Department will implement 24 projects, with some being rolled over to the Medium-Term period.
According to Ms. Ngetich, key performance targets prioritized by the department include the coordination of security operations, training of 8,600 officers, equipping 300 sub-county headquarters with modern ICT equipment, disaster coordination, and training 300 frontline border officers, among others.
During the engagements, the Committee sought to know why the department were gazzating many administrative units yet they were not being operationalized.
In response the department stated that they have not been able to do this because of lack of funds. The Committee directed the State department not to gazzete any more administrative units until the once gazetted are operationalized.
The Committee also met with the Principal Secretary, State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services, Prof. Julius Bitok. Prof. Bitok presented a proposed budget allocation of Ksh. 20,523.9 million for FY 2025/26.
In his presentation, Prof. Bitok noted that in the first half of FY 2024/25, the department issued 308,836 passports, registered 1,554,141 births, issued 554,408 birth certificates, and recorded 82,071 death certificates.
He further highlighted that 1,223,853 Maisha cards were issued, 408,366 birth and death records were digitized, 1,206,393 electronic travel authorizations were issued, 1,040 dual citizenships were recorded, and 32,688 asylum seekers were registered.
The PS appealed to the Committee to consider the budget presented. The Committee is expected to prepare a report and present it before the Liaison Committee.
