Govt Allocates Sh3.9 Billion for Village Elders’ Stipends in 2026/27 Budget
The government has allocated Sh3.9 billion for stipends for village elders in the 2026/27 financial year, marking a major step towards formally recognising and supporting grassroots community leadership across the country.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi announced the allocation while presenting the 2026/27 Budget in Parliament, saying the funds are intended to strengthen local administrative structures and appreciate the critical role village elders play in maintaining peace and security.
“I have also proposed Sh3.9 billion for stipends to village elders to enhance local administrative capacities and to appreciate and recognise the role played by village elders in helping address security and other societal challenges,” Mbadi said.
The allocation forms part of a broader increase in government spending on the security sector, which has been allocated Sh591.2 billion in the 2026/27 Budget. The government says the enhanced funding is aimed at strengthening national security, improving law enforcement and creating a stable environment for economic growth and investment.
According to the Treasury, the Ministry of Defence will receive the largest share of the security budget at Sh252.1 billion. The National Police Service has been allocated Sh144.7 billion, while the National Intelligence Service will receive Sh64 billion.
The State Department for Internal Security and National Administration has been allocated Sh63.9 billion, while the Kenya Prisons Service will receive Sh42.6 billion.
The government has also earmarked additional funding for key security programmes, including Sh13 billion for the police vehicle leasing programme, Sh7 billion for police modernisation initiatives and Sh1 billion for equipping the national forensic laboratory.
The allocation for village elders follows years of discussions on formalising their role within government structures. Last month, Internal Security Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo told the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security that Kenya has approximately 110,000 village elders supporting government functions at the grassroots level.
Under the proposed programme, each village elder is expected to receive a monthly stipend of Sh3,000.
“The conversation about village elders began in 2016, and the House actually gave directions to the ministry. It has taken almost 10 years to get us here,” Omollo told lawmakers.
Village elders have long played a critical role in conflict resolution, community policing, intelligence gathering and supporting local administration, particularly in rural areas and informal settlements.
The latest allocation continues an upward trend in security spending over recent years. In the 2025/26 financial year, the government allocated Sh464.9 billion to the security sector, up from Sh377.5 billion in the 2024/25 budget.