NAIROBI, Kenya — Parliament has approved a Sh45 billion funding boost for Kenya’s security agencies, including an additional Sh10 billion for the National Intelligence Service (NIS), as regional instability along the country’s northern frontier raises fears of spillover threats.
The National Assembly adopted Supplementary Estimates I for the 2025/26 financial year on Thursday, following recommendations by the Budget and Appropriations Committee, increasing allocations to the Ministry of Defence, NIS, and the National Police Service.
The Ministry of Defence received the largest share, with an additional Sh24.4 billion on top of its existing Sh202.3 billion budget.
Lawmakers said the increase would support salary adjustments and strengthen defence capabilities amid emerging security pressures.
The National Police Service was allocated Sh7.5 billion to support operational needs, including Sh2 billion to address shortfalls in group life and medical insurance for officers and their dependents.
A further Sh3 billion was approved for internal security personnel emoluments and operational costs.
Documents tabled in Parliament indicated that the Sh10 billion increase for NIS is intended to enhance intelligence gathering as the East African security environment becomes increasingly volatile.
The funding boost comes against the backdrop of escalating tensions in the region, particularly the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
Last month, Sudan’s Foreign Ministry accused Ethiopia of complicity in drone strikes targeting Sudanese cities in February and early March, marking the first time Khartoum directly implicated Addis Ababa in the three-year conflict.
“The Government of Sudan has been monitoring throughout February and the beginning of March the entry of drones from within Ethiopian territory targeting locations inside Sudan,” Khartoum said, warning it would retaliate if the attacks continued.
Ethiopia has denied the allegations. Analysts warn that any escalation drawing additional regional actors into the Sudan conflict could trigger humanitarian and security pressures across neighbouring states, including Kenya.
The revised supplementary budget raises total government spending to Sh4.66 trillion, representing an 8.6pc increase from the estimates approved in June 2024.
The figure is also Sh363.9 billion higher than the draft supplementary budget initially tabled by the National Treasury in March.
The additional security allocations were authorised under Article 223 of the Constitution, which allows the executive to incur expenditure not previously approved by Parliament where unforeseen and urgent needs arise, subject to subsequent parliamentary approval.
The funding increase follows a series of counterterrorism operations credited to intelligence agencies in recent months.
In February, NIS and the elite Special Operations Group (SOG) thwarted a large-scale attack planned during the holy month of Ramadan after raiding a hideout in Nairobi.
Security officers recovered five AK-47 rifles, 600 rounds of ammunition, six hand grenades and a Makarov pistol.
In a separate operation the same month, SOG operatives intercepted suspected Al-Shabaab militants attempting to plant explosives along the Alungu–Elwak road.
Two militants were killed in a firefight, and officers recovered a fully assembled improvised explosive device and a rocket-propelled grenade warhead.
