NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 14 – Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakango has revealed inefficiencies in the use of public funds, particularly in travel and allowances, within the national government.
According to the “Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) Recurrent Expenditure Analysis” for the first half of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024/2025, significant wastage has been identified in various state offices.
The national government’s gross allocation for ministerial recurrent expenditure in FY 2024/2025 was initially set at Sh1.63 trillion but was later revised to Sh1.59 trillion in Supplementary Estimates.
Despite this reduction, total expenditure for the first six months of the fiscal year stood at Sh810.57 billion, representing 51 percent of the revised gross recurrent estimates.
This marks a slight increase from the 49 percent expenditure recorded during the same period in FY 2023/2024, which amounted to Sh792.52 billion.
Of particular concern, the Controller of Budget highlighted excessive spending on travel and allowances, which has been flagged for immediate review.
The report revealed that funds that could be better utilized in other sectors are instead being diverted towards questionable travel expenditures.
Several ministries, including the Ministry of Defence and the State Department for Public Health, also recorded high travel costs, prompting concerns about accountability.
Government entities, such as the Office of the Deputy President and the State Department for Correctional Services, were also mentioned for consistently exceeding their travel and allowances budgets without clear justification, despite an overall reduction in the national allocation.
This revelation adds to the growing public concern regarding the government’s fiscal responsibility, as citizens question the prudence of public spending amid rising national debt and economic pressures.
This is despite a directive by President William Ruto last year directing expenditure scale-down across the entire government in line with austerity measures in the wake of the anti-2024 finance bill protests.
We must live within our means, respecting the very loud message that is coming from the people of Kenya. I will have conversations with stakeholders on this matter as we chart our way forward,” the president said.
