Concerns over government spending have intensified following revelations that State House incurred Ksh.1.074 billion on domestic travel in the first nine months of the 2024/25 Financial Year, despite ongoing calls for austerity. The figure was disclosed in the National Government Budget Implementation Review Report by Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o.
The report shows that between July 2024 and March 2025, total government expenditure stood at Ksh.1.2 trillion approximately 70 per cent of the revised gross budget estimates. Of this amount, local travel by the presidency emerged as a key area of scrutiny amid a national outcry over excessive government spending.
President William Ruto’s administration had pledged to enforce strict austerity measures to rein in public debt and improve service delivery. However, the high domestic travel costs equivalent to more than Ksh.100 million per month have raised eyebrows, especially at a time when Kenyans are grappling with high taxes, rising inflation, and a demand for better accountability from state institutions.
Civil society groups and opposition leaders have questioned the rationale behind such expenditures, arguing that the funds could have been redirected to critical sectors like education, health, or youth employment. “This amount can build several classrooms or equip hospitals,” one critic noted.
The Office of the Controller of Budget has in the past flagged similar concerns regarding excessive travel and hospitality expenditures across government ministries and state departments.
With public trust in leadership hanging in the balance, many Kenyans are calling for transparency and a genuine commitment to fiscal discipline. The revelation adds pressure on the government to demonstrate responsibility in public spending and to adhere to the very austerity principles it has championed.
