CS Duale Declines To Reveal How KDF Spent Ksh.135B, Cites ‘National Security’
Attempts made by a Parliamentary committee to ascertain the allocation of Ksh.135 billion by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) were unsuccessful, as the Ministry of Defence stated that disclosing such information would pose a threat to national security.
Defense Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale declined to provide a detailed breakdown of the expenses incurred by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) during the 2022/2023 fiscal year when he testified before the National Assembly’s Committee on Defense and Foreign Relations on Tuesday.
Despite objections from members of the committee led by MP Nelson Koech, the CS insisted that he could only disclose the information to the National Security Council chaired by the Commander-In-Chief, remaining firm in his stance.
As per the report presented to the committee, the Kenya Defence Forces allocated Ksh.98 billion for salaries and benefits, while Ksh.28 billion was earmarked for covering operational expenses at military installations, which also includes food provisions.
The expenditures included Ksh.1.7 billion for upkeep of significant parts and machinery, Ksh.1 billion for humanitarian assistance, Ksh.1 billion for enhancing border security, and an additional Ksh.4 billion for upgrading KDF equipment.
CS Duale was reluctant to provide more detail on how the money was utilized, despite MPs’ requests for a more thorough breakdown to prevent secrecy and potential misappropriation of funds.
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“The information that we want, when you say modernization, we want to know what is it you bought? Are Kenyans getting value for money? We don’t want these blanket figures,” demanded Kajiado Central MP Elijah Memusi.
During a heated meeting, the Members of Parliament and the Civil Servant engaged in confrontation, as the Civil Servant remained firm in insisting on revealing additional details regarding the expenditure of funds.
“We want to know what an allocation of 1 year has done, where has the Ksh.135 billion been used? If it’s about modernization, tell us this is the equipment we bought and at how much…is there value for money?” Posed Kinangop MP Thuku Kwenya.
One of the primary concerns raised by MPs was the need for further clarification on the Ksh.98 billion allocated for salaries and allowances. Despite this, Duale argued that revealing the number of military personnel in the country could jeopardize security.
“I can’t go further than that, its salary and allowances that we pay to our security forces that will directly affect on the national security of our country, no country wants to share the number of their forces,” Duale retorted.
“There is no Minister of Defence in Kenya who has ever disclosed the number of our army. I have never and will never disclose the number of our security personnel, the only place I can do that is in the National Security Council where the Commander-In-Chief is chairing.”
CS Duale Declines To Reveal How KDF Spent Ksh.135B, Cites ‘National Security’