Nairobi, June 7 -- Kenya's military spending touched a record high of $1.47 billion (Sh190.25 billion) last year, as the country continued its defence modernisation programme amid heightened security threats in the region.

This was an increase of 17 percent from the Sh162.64 billion the country spent on its military in the 12 months to December 2024, according to data from the Sweden-based Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), an independent global security think tank.

The region's biggest economy remained ahead of its East African neighbours in military spending and was the third largest spender in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) behind South Africa and Nigeria, according to the SIPRI report.

SIPRI tracks military spendin...