Security at What Cost? A Critical Reflection on Kenya’s Ksh 567.4 Billion Security Allocation for FY 2026/27

By Dr. Luchetu Likaka

The Government of Kenya’s decision to allocate approximately Ksh 567.4 billion to the security sector in the 2026/27 financial year represents one of the largest investments in policing, intelligence, defence, and internal security in the country’s history.

While national security remains a fundamental responsibility of the state, the magnitude of this allocation raises important questions regarding priorities, effectiveness, accountability, and the broader understanding of security in contemporary Kenya.

At a time when the country continues to grapple with high levels of youth unemployment, rising public debt, a strained healthcare system, recurrent industrial unrest in the education sector, increasing food insecurity, and widening socio-economic inequalities, the allocation reflects a policy preference for strengthening coercive institutions rather than addressing the structural conditions that generate insecurity.

The central issue is not whether security deserves funding.

Rather, it is whether the allocation of Ksh 567.4 billion is justified by measurable outcomes and whether it reflects the most effective pathway towards achieving sustainable peace, stability, and development.

Persistent Security Challenges Despite Heavy Spending

Over the last decade, security agencies have consistently received significant budgetary allocations.

Yet the country continues to experience persistent insecurity in various forms.

Banditry remains a major challenge in parts of the Rift Valley and northern Kenya.

Urban centres continue to grapple with organized criminal gangs, drug trafficking networks, cybercrime, and violent robberies.

The threat of terrorism, particularly from regional extremist groups, remains a concern.

Cases of gender-based violence and community conflicts continue to rise in several parts of the country.

These realities compel a critical question: why do security threats persist despite substantial and increasing investments in the sector?

The answer lies partly in the fact that many of Kenya’s security challenges are deeply rooted in socio-economic and governance failures.

Crime, radicalization, political violence, and social unrest are often symptoms of deeper problems including unemployment, poverty, corruption, inequality, exclusion, weak institutions, and lack of opportunities for young people.

Increasing expenditure on security agencies without addressing these underlying drivers risks treating symptoms while neglecting the disease itself.

A growing body of international evidence demonstrates that sustainable security cannot be achieved through policing and military interventions alone.

Human security approaches emphasize that citizens are more secure when they have access to quality education, healthcare, employment opportunities, social protection, justice, and responsive governance.

In many respects, investments in human development are equally investments in national security.

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The Cost of Prioritising Security Over Development

The opportunity cost of the Ksh 567.4 billion allocation cannot be ignored.

Every budget represents choices and trade-offs. Resources directed towards security inevitably reduce the fiscal space available for other sectors that directly improve citizens’ wellbeing.

At a time when public universities face financial difficulties, hospitals struggle with inadequate resources, and young graduates remain unemployed, the justification for such a large security allocation must be subjected to rigorous public scrutiny.

Equally concerning is the issue of accountability.

Security institutions remain among the most opaque sectors of government expenditure.

While confidentiality is necessary for certain operations, the scale of public resources committed to the sector requires stronger parliamentary oversight, performance evaluation, and transparency mechanisms.

Citizens have a legitimate right to know whether increased expenditure is translating into improved security outcomes and better service delivery.

The timing of the allocation also warrants attention.

With the country gradually moving towards the 2027 General Election, concerns about the politicization of security institutions and the use of state resources for political purposes cannot be entirely dismissed.

Historically, election periods have often witnessed increased reliance on security agencies in managing political competition and public dissent.

This reality underscores the need for robust safeguards to ensure that security resources are deployed strictly in accordance with constitutional principles and democratic norms.

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Rethinking Kenya’s Security Approach

Furthermore, the allocation reflects an outdated conception of security that prioritizes state security over human security.

Modern security thinking recognizes that the stability of a nation depends not only on the capacity of its police and military institutions but also on the wellbeing of its citizens.

A population burdened by unemployment, poverty, inequality, and limited opportunities remains vulnerable to insecurity regardless of how much is spent on enforcement mechanisms.

The challenge facing Kenya is therefore not simply a question of spending more on security. It is a question of spending smarter.

Future security investments must be linked to clear performance indicators, institutional reforms, community-based approaches to crime prevention, and initiatives that address the socio-economic drivers of insecurity.

Without such reforms, increased expenditure risks expanding the security bureaucracy without necessarily improving public safety.

Ultimately, the true measure of security is not the size of a budget allocation.

It is the extent to which citizens feel safe in their homes, communities, workplaces, and public spaces.

It is measured by trust in institutions, access to opportunities, protection of rights, and confidence in the future.

As Parliament debates and approves the 2026/27 budget, it must move beyond the assumption that more spending automatically translates into greater security.

The critical question remains whether Ksh 567.4 billion will make Kenya safer or whether it represents yet another expansion of the security state at the expense of investments that could address the root causes of insecurity.

A secure nation is not built solely through police stations, intelligence operations, and military deployments.

It is built through inclusive development, accountable governance, economic opportunity, social justice, and public trust.

These are the foundations upon which lasting security rests.

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Dr. Luchetu Likaka PhD is a Distinguished Consultant Criminologist and Sociologist, Boasting over 15 years of Experience in the Field. PHOTO/ Luchetu Likaka