The Inspector General of Police Japheth Koome has assured the kenyans that the country is safe despite shortfall following the budget cuts amounting to Sh 61 billion for the 2023/2024 financial year
Presenting the budget estimates before the National Assembly Committee on Administration and Internal Security, Koome revealed that out of Sh 171.8 billion sought from the exchaquer, received Sh 110 billion for the year under the review
Koome said they had identified six flagship key projects to be undertaken including upscaling of police programmes, completion of police houses at kasarani and the newly established police units as well as construction of modern police hospitals
Today, the military handed over the National Police Service Hospital at Mbagathi upon completion where Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Prof Kithure Kindiki officiated the ceremony, flanked by IG, immediately after leaving parliament buildings
“Police live under very deplorable condition and wished to put up more houses. In our estimates about Sh 517 million fall short of our key projects but we seek to be considered in the next supplementary budget,” Koome pleaded
Since the recruitment of police officers is very crucial following natural attrition, Koome said that part of the budget was to go for training of police officers where they received Sh 3.1 billion out of the Sh 5 billion they had sought for the same
However, the National Police Service thanked the committee for helping them expand their mandate and functions as well as putting up more police stations, patrol vehicles and police aircraft
“We want to recruit about 5000 police officers this year. We spend about Sh 450 million per month on stipends of Sh 10,000 per month for every recruit, when you calculate that amount you get about Sh 5.4 milion which goes for recruits reimbursements only,” he clarified some of these expenses after MPs sought slight revelations on the police expenditure
Not mincing his words, the Director of Administrations at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations [DCI] Peter Sishangi, revealed that Shakahola operations and investigations alone took part of Sh 15 million per months going to about 50 police officers deployed at the condone area for the last two years
“Mr Chair, since the happenings of Shakahola, we send our sleuths there where they have been tasked of investigating the atrocities committed by the rogue pastor and we have been spending about 15 million per months for the facilitations of about 60 police officers in the said area of operation,” Sishangi noted
The commission also pointed out that there has been programmes to upgrading police welfare based on credentials in order to motivate them to continue serving for the beloved country and negate them from taking part in bad vices
Other departments who presented their budget estimates for the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 before the said departmental committee include State Department for Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management by Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria and Principal Secretary Veronicah Nduva
On the list were also State Department for Parliamentary Affairs where PS Aurelia Rono presented their budget estimates for the period despite some MPs challenging it’s duplicity of some functions and mandates
The State Department for State House represented by State House Comptroller Katoo Ole Metito presented the top house budget estimates for the years as well as supplementary budget