Key Police operations including purchase of ammunition set to suffer as NPS decry budget cut

Police boss Douglas Kanja has decried the proposed Sh1.2 billion budget cut for critical areas, including acquisition of ammunition, warning it will have far reaching consequences on police operations.

Overall, the IG said NPS is underfunded by Sh40.9 billion, including Sh29.89 billion in recurrent and Sh11.07 billion in development.

Appearing before the National Administration and Internal Security Committee chaired by Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo, Kanja also warned that the budget constraint will affect the planned hiring of new police officers.

National Police Service had planned to hire 10,000 new officers; something Kanja now says will be impossible.

“The total rationalised funding required is Sh6.36 billion against an allocation of Sh2.9 billion reflecting a funding shortfall of Sh3.46 billion,” Kanja told the Tongoyo-led committee.

“Key expenditure areas include uniform, ammunition, food and rations, stipends for the trainees and utilities amongst others.”

Other crucial areas affected include the planned equipping of the forensic laboratory at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the mobility of the police, vehicle maintenance, acquisition of the police hospital in Nairobi’s Mbagathi area and the modernisation of the police equipment.

Documents before the National Assembly show that the NPS has been allocated Sh125.3 billion for the next financial year, which is less by Sh1.2 billion for critical operational areas.

The allocation also includes Sh2.8 billion towards the Multi-National Security Support Mission in Haiti leaving Sh21.3 billion for police operations and maintenance.

“Even though the NPS recurrent budget has increased, budget cuts have been effected on areas which are core to the police operations. Further cuts on development have affected very critical projects,” Kanja said.

Also affected – according to the documents - is Sh14,42 billion budgeted for security operations but the amount was slashed to Sh6.4 billion as per the printed estimates, leaving a financing gap of Sh8.1 billion.

These affects purchase of police equipment and supplies that saw Sh489.6 million slashed off.

“The cut will mainly affect the purchase of security supplies including ammunition and accessories,” IG Kanja said.

There is also the Sh306.2 billion that was cut from the fuel, oil and lubricants budget with an implication on the police operations “which require constant mobility.”

Also chopped off is the Sh111.4 million routine maintenance of motor vehicles. The move, IG noted, will hamper police mobility.

NPS has vehicles in the 1209 police stations spread across the country.