Kenya’s Defence Cabinet Secretary, Aden Duale, faced scrutiny before the National Assembly’s Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations as he refused to disclose how the KDF allocated and spent KES135 billion in the 2022/2023 financial year.
As per the report presented before the committee, KDF spent KES 98 billion in emoluments and salaries, KES 28 billion for operational costs of military bases including food.
The forces further spent KES 1.7 billion on maintenance of major parts and equipment, KES 1 billion on civil aid, KES 1 billion on border securitization, and another KES 4 billion on modernization of KDF equipment.
That was as far as CS Duale was willing to go in breaking down how the money was used, with MPs demanding that the figures be unpackaged further to avoid secrecy and a possibility of embezzlement of funds.
The Ministry of Defence cited concerns over national security, thwarting the committee’s efforts to unveil the expenditure details.
“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.
Despite objections from members of the committee, the Defence Cabinet Secretary remained steadfast in his stance that he could only disclose the expenditure information to the National Security Council, chaired by the Commander-In-Chief.
One of the primary concerns raised by the MPs was regarding the KES 98 billion allocated for salaries and allowances. However, Duale maintained that revealing the number of military personnel could jeopardize national security.
“I can’t go further than that, its salary and allowances that we pay to our security forces that will directly effect 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.”
