Kenya on course as a regional security, trade, digital, and governance hub

Internal Security Principal Secretary Dr. Raymond Omollo./PHOTO: MINA

The recruitment of 10,000 police officers and the training of nearly 6,000 chiefs and assistant chiefs—the largest such—are among the key milestones registered by the government in the third and last quarters of 2025.

These achievements were highlighted during the 13th Meeting of the Governance and Public Administration (GPA) Sub-Committee of the National Development Implementation Committee (NDIC) chaired by Internal Security Principal Secretary Dr. Raymond Omollo.

In its latest appraisal, the Sub-Committee reported that passport processing times have now dropped from over six months to just 72 hours, which is a continental benchmark in service delivery efficiency.

The team also acknowledged diaspora engagement efforts, through which remittances have surpassed Sh660 billion, on track to hit Sh1 trillion, supported by stronger investment facilitation and welfare mechanisms.

More than 400,000 safe overseas job placements have been secured through bilateral labour agreements. The meeting reviewed the implementation of 19 Cabinet Decisions, noting that 11 percent have been fully completed, with the remainder at advanced stages.

While acknowledging coordination gaps, funding delays, and legal processes that have slowed certain actions, with a briefing by the Solicitor General revealing a rise in petitions challenging government legislation.

Since 2022, 60 cases have been filed, a majority of them tied to gaps in public participation. The team urged MDAs to ensure strict compliance with constitutional requirements to safeguard priority programmes.

The Sub-Committee also noted significant strides in digitisation, with a total of 22,510 government services now been onboarded onto the e-Citizen platform from 583 agencies. Updates also showed major projects nearing completion, including the East Africa Kidney Institute at 99 percent, alongside KDF-led projects, key among them stadiums, hospitals, and 13 schools in Kerio Valley.

The team emphasised the need for timely exchequer releases and tighter coordination with counties, especially for AFCON-related projects.

On regional integration, Kenya marked a major diplomatic milestone with the formal admission of Somalia as the 8th member of the East African Community (EAC), expanding regional markets, enhancing cross-border cooperation, and strengthening collective security across the bloc.

Between January and August 2025, Kenya hosted seven inbound and conducted fifteen outbound state visits, aimed at advancing economic partnerships, strategic cooperation, and global advocacy.

These engagements yielded significant outcomes, including Sh19.5 billion in Special Economic Zone investments from China projected to create 5,000 jobs, 12 MoUs with Egypt covering ports, ICT, gender, youth, and investment promotion, agreements with Angola that restored direct flights between Nairobi and Luanda, and partnerships with Guinea-Bissau and the Netherlands in trade, education, water, agriculture, innovation, and resource mobilisation. Following the meeting, the delegation undertook field verification visits across Kisumu County, inspecting the Airport Control Tower, Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, the Lumumba Affordable Housing Project and the Kisumu International Convention Centre.

The visits enabled real-time validation of progress and identification of operational gaps requiring rapid intervention.

The meeting was attended by Principal Secretaries Dr. Belio Kipsang (Immigration and Citizen Services), Dr. Salome Muhia-Beacco (Correctional Services), Michael Lenasalon (Devolution, Ahmed Abdisalan Ibrahim (National Government Coordination), Prof. Abdulrazak Shaukat (Science, Research and Innovation), Dr. Caroline Wanjiru Karugu (EAC Affairs), and Judith Naiyai Pareno (Justice, Human Rights & Constitutional Affairs) as well as Solicitor General.