The Budget and Appropriations Committee has allocated Ksh150 million for the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to procure the Optimus 3.0 system, which has the potential to track social media users in the country.
The Committee, chaired by Alego Usonga Member of Parliament (MP) Sam Atandi, has recommended amending the budget estimates of the National Treasury, raising the expenditure bill for the national government to Ksh2.54 trillion.
Citizen TV reported that the committee has set aside Ksh50 million to procure Optimus 3.0 equipment.
The committee further increased the recurrent expenditure by Ksh100 million for the DCI Forensic Lab’s Optimus 3.0 social media initiative.
Experts say this system can track social media users in the country, identifying users across various platforms and establishing who is posting what, where, and using which gadgets, traceable through connection data.
The National Police Service (NPS) could gain up to Ksh1.8 billion to finance additional recurrent expenditure.
Out of that, the Office of the Inspector General will receive an additional Ksh800 million for police operations, while the Office of the Deputy IG in charge of administrative police will get Ksh60 million more.
The committee has approved several internal shifts, even as the overall increment of the budget is just Ksh33 billion.
Ruto & Kindiki’s Office
At the Executive Office of the President, the estimates have been increased to Ksh5.37 billion.
The Committee has raised the recurrent expenditure by Ksh455 million, which has also resulted in a Ksh550 million cut from the development plan.
Consequently, capital transfers to the National Fund for the Disabled of Kenya, which is considered development expenditure, have been cut by Ksh400 million.
Part of the cut is being used to meet Ksh44 million for operations and maintenance, which includes replacing the old fleet of motor vehicles for the chief of staff and the head of public service.
The Office of the Deputy President has also benefited from a Ksh150 million increase, attributed to operating expenses, now reaching Ksh3.07 billion in total estimates.
Also Read: Inside Bill Forcing Kenyans to Submit ID for Social Media Verification
Ministry of Defence
The Ministry of Defence has had its estimates increased by Ksh13 billion, now totalling Ksh213 billion.
This is the largest budget for the department in history.
The committee indicated that the increment includes Ksh2 billion for recruitment, Ksh5 billion for Kenya Defence Forces operations in Somalia, and Ksh6 billion for other security operations.
Also Read: DCI Officer Arrested After Vandalizing Govt Property at Nyayo Stadium
Losers in New Estimates
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is set to lose Ksh570 million in total, with the teachers’ capacity building vote losing Ksh620 million.
The committee is cutting Ksh920 million from university education, reducing primary education by Ksh405 million, including a capitation cut, and slashing secondary education funding by an additional Ksh4 billion.
That encompasses a combined Ksh5 billion cut in capitation for secondary and junior schools.
The National Assembly is expected to debate the report and, if approved, form the basis of the budget statement by the National Treasury Cabinet Secretary (CS) John Mbadi.
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