Mudavadi seeking Sh280m for 'urgent security upgrades'

The Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary (OPCS) is seeking Sh280 million to reinforce the Railways Headquarters and its other critical installations, amid what it described as urgent security concerns.

The office sought the funds, as MPs questioned the timing of the request, which they say comes against the backdrop of calls for austerity measures in government.

The Principal Administrative Secretary in the OPCS, Joash Dache, told the National Assembly Committee on Administration and Internal Security that Musalia Mudavadi hosts foreign dignitaries who come to pay a courtesy call on him in his capacity as the Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary.

“The office wishes to draw the committee’s attention to urgent security concerns and other critical installations at the Kenya Railways headquarters. In this regard, the office requests the committee to consider allocating Sh280 million as per the quotation provided by the State Department for Public Works to address these needs,” he told the committee, chaired by Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo.

Dache said that the security around the building is wanting and there is dire need to boost the security situation within and around the building, adding that this was further supported by a report from National Intelligence Security (NIS) who recommended further boosting of the security installations.

The Budget and Appropriations Committee had directed that no further funding should be provided to the office in its recommendations on the 2026 Budget Policy Statement, and made reference to fiscal austerity and raised questions on heavy investment in a rented facility. But Dache insisted that the OPCS, operating at the leased facility at Kenya Railways headquarters, is in bad shape, which requires funding to accord it the status it deserves.

“We inherited a condemned building.

‘‘If you are a landlord or a landlady, you are supposed to ensure that your facility is habitable and we have been requesting the Sh280 million to enhance the security of the building as indicated in the NIS report,” he affirmed.

Although he did not delve into the details of the NIS report he made reference to, the MPs were seemingly not convinced and accused the office of abusing the expenditures under supplementary budget requirements.

The MPs also sought to understand how that is an emergency, insisting that this does not qualify for emergency expenditure.

“This is overuse of the supplementary budget to address matters that can be handled in the main budget,” Homa Bay Town MP, Peter Kaluma said.

The mandate of the OPCS is defined by the Executive Order No. 1 of 2023 and Executive Order No. 2 of 2023. The office is situated within the presidency and is tasked with ensuring the effective functioning of government.

Dache has also said that in preparation of the 2025/26 financial year Supplementary Budget I, the OPCS requested for an additional Sh1.1 billion to cater for key underfunded sub-programmes but the National Treasury allocated an additional S272.3 million.

Also in the current financial year, he said the OPCS had been initially funded though the Government Coordination and Supervision programme and during the half year review period the office implemented sub-programme namely coordination and supervision services

“This means that administration and support services sub-programme has been allocated Sh210.08 million of which, Sh112.3 million is for personnel emoluments while 97.78 for operations and maintenance. The coordination and supervision sub-programme has been allocated a total of Sh418.87 million, out of which Sh88.2 million is for personnel emoluments while Sh330.87 million is for operations and maintenance,” he said.

He however, explained that the office does not implement projects directly but ensures project implementation is seamless and are delivered efficiently, without duplication.

He has since urged the committee to consider allocating Sh922.2 million in the recurrent vote in the FY2025/26 Supplementary Estimates No 1 to facilitate delivery of effective coordination and supervision services as per the mandate of Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary.