IGP Kanja warns police recruitment plan at risk over funding gap
Inspector General of the National Police Service (NPS) Douglas Kanja has warned that the government’s police recruitment drive is facing a serious funding shortfall that could derail planned hiring ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Appearing before the National Assembly Administration and Security Committee during the review of the 2026/2027 budget estimates, Kanja said the National Treasury’s allocation of Sh2.9 billion for recruitment is far below the Sh6.7 billion required to hire at least 15,000 officers.
The National Treasury has set aside Sh143.19 billion for the National Police Service (NPS) in the 2026/2027 financial year, with only Sh2.9 billion earmarked specifically for recruitment.
The budget, the IG warned, prioritises recruitment of at least 10,000 officers, improvement of personnel welfare, and upgrading of key operational assets as part of broader efforts to strengthen national security capacity ahead of the 2027 polls.
Kanja cautioned that the reduced allocation would force the service to prioritise competing obligations, including pending bills and the operational costs of 10,000 recruits currently in training.
“The proposed allocation of Sh2.9 billion is insufficient. The lion’s share of these funds will go to pay pending bills for the operations of the 10,000 recruits currently in training,” he told the committee.
He stressed that the police service requires nearly Sh7 billion to ensure adequate staffing levels ahead of the elections, warning that the gap could undermine operational readiness.
Beyond recruitment, the Inspector General highlighted persistent resource constraints within the service, including severe transport shortages. He noted that the NPS currently operates at about half its required transport capacity.
“In terms of transport, we operate at only 50 per cent of our need,” Kanja said.
According to the service, the police force requires 8,400 vehicles but currently has only 2,833 operational units, while 1,066 remain grounded, leaving a deficit of 4,481 vehicles.
Kanja also revealed plans to modernise the police fleet, including the introduction of electric vehicles for use in urban areas, while diesel-powered units would be deployed in rural regions.
He further raised concerns over the state of the police airwing, noting that only three of the nine aircraft are operational and in need of urgent refurbishment.
