NAIROBI, June 2026 – Interior Security Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen has hailed the allocation of Sh3.9 billion to Village Elders in the 2026/27 financial budget statement, marking a historic step in formalizing grassroots administration.
The newly allocated funds will provide a long-awaited stipend to facilitate the work of approximately 110,000 elders across the country. Within the National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) framework, village elders serve as the vital, bottom-most link in the administrative chain, bridging the gap between local communities and Assistant Chiefs.
”I am glad that the recognition and facilitation of the 110,000 elders will enhance administration, and bolster security coordination and dissemination of information at the community level,” said CS Murkomen.
For years, village elders have operated as volunteers despite anchoring local administration. Under the NGAO structure, their formalized roles will now focus on acting as the primary eyes and ears of the state to detect crime, radicalization, and illicit activities before they escalate.
“Mediating local, domestic, and land disputes through traditional alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, significantly reducing the burden on courts.”
In policy dissemination, helping the government communicate vital information regarding health campaigns, education, and security directives directly to households.
They are also tasked with spearheading public participation and government initiatives like the Nyumba Kumi community policing initiative.
CS Murkomen noted that the decision to budget for the elders is a direct result of public feedback gathered during the Jukwaa La Usalama engagements recently conducted countrywide.
The allocation for village elders is part of a broader financial windfall for the security sector. In his budget speech delivered on the floor of the National Assembly on Thursday, June 10th, National Treasury CS John Mbadi announced massive funding injections aimed at modernizing the country’s security apparatus.
Alongside the Sh3.9 billion set aside for the elders’ stipends, CS Mbadi gave the security department a major boost by allocating Sh13 billion for the leasing of police motor vehicles. Additionally, Sh7 billion was directed toward the Police Modernisation Programme, while Sh1 billion was dedicated to the construction of a National Forensic Facility.
According to CS Murkomen, this comprehensive funding model will drastically enhance security interventions while propelling ongoing administrative reforms across the country.
”It will improve service delivery to the public and create an enabling environment for our socioeconomic prosperity,” Murkomen emphasized.
