Controller of Budget raises alarm as Gov't spends Ksh.30 billion on travel

The National Government Budget Implementation Review Report covering July 1, 2025, to June 30 this year also revealed that it commenced some projects without an approved budget allocation.

Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o disclosed that travel expenditure gobbled up KSh.30.69 billion, comprising domestic travel at KSh.21.98 billion and foreign travel at KSh.8.71 billion during the financial year.

The top spenders included State House, which spent a total of KSh.2.5 billion on travel in one year, with domestic tours accounting for KSh.2.4 billion while foreign travel took KSh.159 million. The State Department for Internal Security and National Administration spent KSh.1.4 billion, the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services KSh.1.1 billion, and the Office of the Deputy President KSh.655 million.

The rise in expenditure represents an increase of KSh.5.2 billion between the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 financial years.

The figures show a surge in government spending on travel despite an earlier promise by President William Ruto to reduce the expense.

"Ile pesa ya watu ya kurandaranda na kuzunguza watu wa magazeti wanasema nimepunguza by KSh.500 million. Hapana, nimepunguza na KSh.11 billion. Tunapunguza pesa ya travel ya all government by 50%," President Ruto said on October 21, 2023.

The report also showed a rise in the public debt stock by 10% in one year, moving the debt burden from KSh.11.8 trillion in 2024-2025 to KSh.13 trillion by June this year.

The report details how the government had commenced several projects without an approved budget. For instance, the Controller of Budget’s fact-finding mission to several counties established that the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) had awarded two projects, namely the Got Rabuor–Homa Bay Pier Corner–Kodoyo (B2) Road (Phase II) and the realignment of the Homa Bay–Rongo (B3) Road at Kabunde Airstrip in Homa Bay County.

KeNHA had also made advance payments to the respective contractors to facilitate the mobilisation of personnel, equipment and site establishment, despite the absence of corresponding budgetary allocations in the approved FY 2025/26 budget.

“This practice contravenes the principle of budget-led procurement, weakens fiscal discipline, exposes the government to unfunded contractual commitments, and compromises the integrity of the budget implementation process,” Nyakang’o said.