The government has allocated Sh3.9 billion for stipends to village elders in its 2026/27 budget.

📻 Breaking It Down

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 11— The government has allocated Sh3.9 billion for stipends to village elders, marking a major policy shift that formally integrates grassroots community leadership into the country’s fiscal framework.

Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi said the allocation is intended to strengthen local administrative capacity and recognise the role of village elders in conflict resolution, intelligence gathering, and community-level security support.

“I have also proposed Sh 3.9 billion for stipends to village elders to enhance local administrative capacities and to appreciate and recognise the role played by village elders in helping address security and other societal challenges,” Mbadi told Parliament.

📌 What You Need to Know

The move comes as government expands its security spending envelope to Sh567.3 billion in the 2026/27 budget, crossing the half-trillion mark in one of the largest sectoral allocations within the Sh4.84 trillion fiscal plan.

The expanded allocation covers defence, policing, intelligence, prisons, and internal administration, reflecting what the government describes as the centrality of stability to economic growth and investment.

The Ministry of Defence received Sh252.1 billion, followed by the National Police Service at Sh144.7 billion, and the National Intelligence Service at Sh64 billion.

The State Department for Internal Security and National Administration was allocated Sh63.9 billion, while the Kenya Prisons Service received Sh42.6 billion.

Beyond baseline funding, the government has ring-fenced Sh21 billion for targeted reforms aimed at modernising policing and strengthening operational capacity.

These include Sh13 billion for leasing police motor vehicles, Sh7 billion for police modernisation programmes, and Sh1 billion for the construction and upgrading of national forensic facilities.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya