Monday, June 23, 2025 – HAN
Nairobi/Mogadishu:The newly released national budgets for Kenya and Somalia for the 2025/26 fiscal year reveal a sharp disparity in security spending, highlighting the economic and structural gap between the two neighboring Horn of Africa nations, even as both face growing regional threats.
Kenya has earmarked USD 2.1 billion for national security—amounting to 4.9% of its GDP and nearly 10% of its total budget. The funds will go toward military modernization, border security, and counter-terrorism operations, especially in response to militant activity near its northeastern border and broader regional instability.
In contrast, Somalia’s national security allocation is just USD 123 million. While this is far smaller in absolute terms, it represents 17% of Somalia’s national budget and 0.9% of its GDP. This high proportional spending underscores Somalia’s reliance on donor funding and the government’s urgent focus on fighting Al-Shabaab and rebuilding state institutions weakened by decades of conflict.
“Somalia’s allocation shows clear intent despite fiscal limitations,” said Omer Salah Aden, a regional financial analyst. “The contrast with Kenya highlights the structural disparities between the two countries, especially in their ability to respond to shared security challenges.”
Kenya’s budget reflects its more developed financial systems and access to international financing, while Somalia continues to depend heavily on foreign grants and concessional loans, even as it begins revenue reforms and post-debt relief economic recovery.
Despite the gap in financial capacity, both nations have prioritized security in their 2025/26 budgets—signaling rising concern over terrorism, cross-border crime, and geopolitical tensions throughout the Horn of Africa.
