Securing the Nation. Serving the People. Strengthening Administration
The Ministry of Interior and National Administration occupy a unique position in Kenya’s constitutional and administrative architecture. It is simultaneously an institution of internal security, a delivery mechanism for essential civilian services, a coordinator of national government functions across forty-seven counties and hundreds of sub-counties, and a guardian of the fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of Kenya. The breadth and complexity of this mandate — which encompasses the National Police Service, the provincial administration system, the National Registration Bureau, the Immigration Department, the Refugee Affairs Secretariat, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority and a constellation of other departments and agencies — makes the Ministry one of the largest and most operationally diverse institutions in the Kenyan public service. Its annual budget of Ksh 142.8 billion, absorbed at a rate of 97% during the year under review, reflects the scale of its operational and capital commitments.
The operating environment for the Ministry during 2024/25 was shaped by a complex and dynamic interplay of security, technological, demographic and governance challenges. On the security front, the persistent threat of Al-Shabaab-inspired terrorism in the North Eastern and coastal regions demanded sustained intelligence-led counter-terrorism operations, while the proliferation of small arms, cattle rustling in the pastoralist counties, highway crime and urban gang activity presented distinct law enforcement challenges requiring differentiated responses. The Ministry’s multi-agency approach to security —
coordinating the National Police Service, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the National Intelligence Service, the Kenya Defence Forces and county-level security structures through the Multi-Agency Command Centre — delivered measurable results across all these threat categories during the year. On the service delivery front, the acceleration of the Maisha Namba (Huduma Namba) program represented the most visible and transformative initiative of the year. The program, which aims to provide every Kenyan with a unique and verifiable national identity anchored in a centralized biometric database integrated with government service platforms, registered 6.8 million citizens and issued 3.2 million national identity documents during the year. The reduction in national ID processing time from an average of 45 days to 7 days is not merely an administrative statistic; it represents a fundamental improvement in the life experience of millions of Kenyans who previously faced protracted waits for documentation that is prerequisite to accessing education, healthcare, financial services, formal employment and civic participation. The introduction of the e-Passport with enhanced security features, the expansion of Huduma Centres to 235 locations nationwide, and the deployment of the e-Citizen portal serving 4.2 million users further extended the Ministry’s service reach and digital footprint. The provincial administration system — comprising forty-seven County Commissioners, 290 Deputy County Commissioners, 1,450 Assistant County Commissioners, 4,200 Chiefs and 11,500 Assistant Chiefs — continued to serve as the indispensable bridge between the national government and the communities it serves. The deployment during the year of 1,200 additional assistant county commissioners and chiefs to newly created administrative units brought government services closer to citizens in remote and previously underserved areas. The system’s role in disaster coordination, community mobilization, conflict resolution and the facilitation of national programs at the local level was demonstrated repeatedly during the year, including in the coordination of responses to the devastating floods that affected twenty-three counties during the long rains season, the evacuation of 45,000 flood-affected persons and the distribution of relief supplies to 120,000 households.
The Ministry’s commitment to human rights and accountable governance deepened significantly during the year through the launch of the National Action Plan on Human Rights in Policing, the establishment of fifteen Victim Support Centres, the training of 2,400 officers on human rights standards, and the strengthening of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority’s presence and investigative capacity in all forty-seven counties. These initiatives reflect the Ministry’s recognition that security and human rights are not competing values but mutually reinforcing ones: security services that respect and protect rights earn public trust, and public trust is the most durable foundation for effective security.
The gender mainstreaming agenda advanced substantially, with women constituting 32% of new National Police Service recruits — exceeding the 30% target — gender desks established in all 450 police stations, and the launch of dedicated capacity building programs for women officers in leadership, GBV response and specialized investigative roles. The Ministry’s trajectory towards gender parity across all cadres by 2030 is on track, reflecting a genuine institutional transformation rather than a tokenistic compliance exercise.
The Ministry’s total budget for 2024/25 was Ksh 142.8 billion, making it one of the largest ministerial budgets in the Government of Kenya. Revenue collected from service delivery reached Ksh 15.9 billion — an increase of 21.4% over the previous year — driven by the digitization of registration services, expanded service points and improved collection efficiency. This report is organized in four parts. Part I describes the Ministry’s institutional architecture. Part II presents detailed achievements across fifteen program areas. Part III provides a transparent account of financial performance. Part IV sets out strategic directions for the period 2025–2030 and the challenges to be addressed.
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