Kenyan Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) pocketed Ksh1.57 billion in sitting allowances in the last financial year. This is according to the latest County Governments Budget Implementation Review Report (BIRR) for August 2025 released by the Controller of Budget (CoB).
The spending accounted for 87% of the approved Ksh1.8 billion budget for sitting allowances. Notably, this marks a slight increase from the 86% recorded in FY 2023/24, when assemblies spent Ksh1.59 billion.
Top Spenders by County
The report highlighted that some counties allocated significantly more to allowances than others.
- Busia County led with Ksh64.4 million.
- Baringo County followed at Ksh50.4 million.
- Homa Bay spent Ksh45 million.
- Embu used Ksh30.6 million.
- Elgeyo Marakwet spent Ksh28.1 million.
On the other end, the lowest spenders were:
- Bungoma with Ksh27.5 million.
- Garissa at Ksh20.3 million.
- Isiolo with Ksh18.7 million.
- Tana River at Ksh17.5 million.
- Lamu recording the lowest at Ksh15.9 million.
Travel Expenses Raise Eyebrows
Apart from allowances, the report also flagged massive spending on travel by county governments.
- Nairobi County spent Ksh630.3 million on domestic travel alone. Out of this, Ksh271.3 million came from the County Assembly, while Ksh359.1 million was from the executive.
- Machakos County used Ksh532 million on local travel and an additional Ksh99 million on foreign trips to Brazil, Dubai, Albania, and China.
- Kitui County spent a total of Ksh709.95 million, with Ksh536 million for local travel and Ksh72 million for international engagements.
- Mombasa County spent Ksh112 million on foreign travel, sending officials to Turkey, Spain, South Korea, Japan, and the United States.
Concerns Over Public Spending
The findings have renewed concerns about public fund wastage at the county level. With billions spent on allowances and travel, citizens are questioning whether counties are prioritizing service delivery.
As debate grows, the call for stricter oversight and fiscal discipline is expected to intensify.
