The National Treasury has asked the National Assembly for an additional Sh17.7 billion under Article 223 of the Constitution to finance various government programmes.

The law allows the national government to spend money that has not been appropriated or, if it is appropriated, is insufficient, or a need has arisen for an expenditure that no amount has been appropriated.

Of the Sh17.7 billion, Sh2.2 billion is to support security operations in Haiti.

Some Sh181 million has been disbursed to the National Police Service (NPS).

The NPS request comes after the United States released Sh14.1 billion in June to cover the purchase of equipment that the Kenyan security team in the Caribbean country said it needed.

Eight other countries have also pledged to contribute personnel, including the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Chad, Jamaica, and Suriname. Benin offered up to 2,000 soldiers, the Bahamas 150, and Jamaica 500. Figures for the other nations are still to be confirmed.

Kenya has said it requires funding of Sh36 billion annually to support its 1,000 security officers in Haiti.

Heated exchanges

In October, Kenya pledged to send 600 more police officers to help fight gangs in Haiti.

The move followed the signing of an agreement between Kenya and Haiti, witnessed by President William Ruto and the Haitian prime minister in Nairobi.

The Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti was authorised by the United Nations Security Council on October 2, 2023.

Yesterday, Mbadi explained that the money being channelled to the Haiti mission will be refunded by the United Nations.

“This money we are spending on behalf of the UN. We are the ones making the payment, so the money comes from our exchequer because these are our officers,” he said.

Also included in the Sh17.7 billion is the Sh807.5 million needed by the State Department for Immigration Services in relation to the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (eTA) on e-Citizen.

The Department for Economic Planning has requested an additional Sh2.3 billion for the East Africa Regional Statistics programme, while the Department for Arid and Semi-Arid regions has requested Sh2 billion to fight gangs in Haiti.

The move followed the signing of an agreement between Kenya and Haiti, witnessed by President William Ruto and the Haitian prime minister in Nairobi.