Controller of Budget flags wasteful spending as counties splash Ksh.17B on travel

Counties such as Turkana, Nairobi City, and Machakos topped the list of most travelled governors and MCAs. The preferred destinations included Dubai, Canada, and China, despite a government directive freezing non-essential travel during the 2023-2024 financial year. 

According to Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang'o, the county officials disregarded the travel freeze, raising questions about the necessity of these trips.

Nyakang'o noted that "if we go to individual counties, you’ll find that the highest spending item is domestic travel... we are not convinced that this level of travel is necessary." She further commented on the excess number of people travelling, stating, "The people attending are too many. You find that the whole office, the entire assembly has travelled just to collect daily subsistence allowances (DSA)."

Turkana County, led by Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai, was among the biggest spenders, with Ksh.943.44 million spent on travel, including Ksh.694.46 million by the county executive. Notably, Ksh.25.67 million was spent on foreign travel. In one instance, 10 county executives spent Ksh.2.9 million on a trip to Uganda to attend a case hearing for 32 convicted pastoralists on August 20, 2023.

Nairobi County, under Governor Johnson Sakaja, was also a top spender, splurging Ksh.861.57 million on travel, with Ksh.328.33 million spent on foreign travel alone. A notable example was a 19-member delegation of county executives who travelled to Marrakesh, Morocco, in June 2024 for a proactive management program, costing the taxpayer Ksh.37.23 million. Other favoured destinations for the city's leadership included the UAE, Canada, Italy, New York, and Istanbul.

Machakos County, under Governor Wavinya Ndeti, spent Ksh.801.44 million on travel, while Nakuru, led by Governor Susan Kihika, and West Pokot under Simon Kachapin, spent Ksh.647.02 million and Ksh.601.76 million, respectively.

Other counties with significant travel expenditures included Kitui (Ksh.515.76 million), Narok (Ksh.510.08 million), Kwale (Ksh.499.95 million), Meru (Ksh.480.67 million), Kisumu (Ksh.472.54 million), Wajir (Ksh.417.19 million), and Tana River (Ksh.488.51 million).