Budget cuts cripple police hiring, modernisation for 2027 elections

Inspector-General of the National Police Service Douglas Kanja during the Launch of the report on the status of drugs and substance use among University students in Kenya by (NACADA) National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse at the Bomas of Kenya on 13th February 2025. [David Gichuru, Standard] The National Police Service (NPS) says a 25 percent budget slash has derailed its plan to recruit 10,000 officers ahead of the 2027 General Election. Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja said the cuts have affected recruitment efforts meant to fill staffing gaps and prepare for the polls. The shortfall also affects training, domestic travel, fuel, maintenance of vehicles, and procurement of specialised materials. "To fill the shortfall we are experiencing, we need to recruit 10,000 officers to address existing gaps and adequately prepare for the General Election," Kanja said. He added that the NPS has also lost Sh200 million meant for police modernisation. The funds were to support the purchase of crowd control gear in readiness for the 2027 polls. Kenya's current police-to-population ratio stands at 1:509-below the UN recommended ratio of 1:450. Since the last recruitment in 2022, the service has lost 5,000 officers through natural attrition. Police chiefs presenting the 2025/26 budget estimates to the National Assembly's Committee on Administration and Internal Security said key priority areas remain critically underfunded. The National Police Service faces a shortfall of Sh29.89 billion in recurrent expenditure and Sh11.07 billion in development funding-totaling a deficit of Sh40.96 billion. On the planned Haiti deployment, the police bosses told the committee that Sh2.8 billion had been allocated. The bulk of this amount will go towards allowances for officers deployed to the mission, which will be reimbursed. They assured the committee that officers are receiving their allowances and noted that the cost of return flights at the end of the mission will also be reimbursed once incurred. Police bosses have clarified that the United Nations Trust Fund is fully financing Kenya's police deployment to Haiti. However, the allocation appears in the national budget as required by the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act, which mandates that all funds received by government be treated as public funds and appropriated by Parliament. Appearing before the National Assembly's Committee on Administration and Internal Security, the police leadership said Sh2.8 billion has been allocated for the Haiti mission, primarily covering officer allowances and return flights-costs expected to be reimbursed. Meanwhile, the National Police Service (NPS) continues to grapple with underfunding across key areas. These include insurance, the police air wing, hospital utilization, the modernization programme, and equipping the national forensic laboratory. Kanja said Sh6.3 billion is needed for the planned recruitment of 10,000 officers, but only Sh2.9 billion has been allocated-leaving a shortfall of Sh3.46 billion. Recruitment costs cover uniforms, ammunition, food, trainee stipends, and utilities. NPS Accounting Officer Bernice Lemedeket noted that the service has submitted a proposed budget of Sh125.29 billion for the 2025/26 financial year, against a Budget Policy Statement (BPS) ceiling of Sh118.42 billion-a difference of Sh6.87 billion. "The net increment comprises an increment of Sh7.69 billion and a reduction of Sh821.4 million for recurrent and development budget respectively," she said. Kanja announced that the process of designing new uniforms for Kenya Police Service (KPS) general duty officers is complete, and only awaits funding for mass production and rollout. He also cited a Sh18.5 million cut in training expenses, which will mainly impact in-service training programs necessary for officer promotions.

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