The State Department for Shipping and Maritime Affairs has defended its revised budget under the Financial Year 2025/2026 Supplementary Estimates I, highlighting an additional Sh100 million allocation to support staff salaries at the Bandari Maritime Academy (BMA).
The Principal Secretary Aden Millah when he appeared before the National Assembly Committee on Transport and Infrastructure said that the total budget has increased from Sh5,684 million to Sh5,754 million (Sh5.75 billion).
Millah said that the revised estimates is the additional allocation directed towards personnel costs at the Bandari Maritime Academy.
“The Department received an additional allocation of Sh. 100 million to cater for salaries for the Bandari Maritime Academy (BMA) staff,” Millah said.
The funding boost underscores the government’s effort to sustain operations at the academy, which plays a central role in training skilled manpower for Kenya’s growing maritime sector and the broader blue economy agenda.
The revised budget shows an increase in recurrent expenditure from Sh3,459 million to Sh3,529 million, while development expenditure remains unchanged at Sh2,225 million.
The department operates through key agencies including the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA), Kenya National Shipping Line (KNSL), and Bandari Maritime Academy (BMA), all of which are central to advancing Kenya’s maritime capabilities.
The committee had sought detailed justification for the additional expenditure, including how the revised allocations would impact ongoing programmes, performance targets, and pending bills.
The inclusion of the Sh100 million allocation for BMA salaries is expected to draw particular scrutiny from lawmakers, as MPs 8continues to examine recurrent expenditure pressures across government institutions.
However, the State Department maintains that the adjustment is necessary to sustain operations and strengthen human resource capacity within the maritime sector.
The George Kariuki led-committee demanded assurances that the additional funds would not crowd out critical development projects, especially at a time when Parliament is tightening oversight on supplementary spending.
The lawmakers further pressed the department to explain whether the allocation points to gaps in previous budgeting, while others sought clarity on staffing levels and sustainability of the academy’s operations.
The additional funding, the PS says will support the government’s broader strategy of positioning the blue economy as a key driver of economic growth, job creation, and international competitiveness.
