Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has accused the national government of prioritising extravagant State House activities over the financial needs of county governments. He alleged that billions of shillings are being spent on handouts to delegations while counties continue to suffer from underfunding and stalled development projects.
Speaking during a Senate session on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, Sifuna criticised the Treasury for failing to prioritise county allocations. Instead, he claimed, funds are being channelled into sustaining large gatherings at State House, where attendees allegedly leave with cash handouts.
“Treasury does not consider money that goes to county governments a priority. We can see where the money is going. How can you host 10,000 people at once and all of them with Ksh10,000? Where are you getting that money?” Sifuna posed.
The Senator argued that if governors attempted similar events at county headquarters, oversight bodies like the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) would intervene immediately. This, he said, exposes double standards in enforcing financial accountability.
“If a governor were to pull such a stunt, the EACC would be in his office tomorrow. But we are seeing huge delegations being hosted and being given money,” he added.
Counties Facing Financial Paralysis
Sifuna maintained that redirecting resources from what he termed “lavish” national government spending to counties would ensure better service delivery. He noted that counties are struggling with stalled projects and delayed salaries due to late Treasury disbursements.
“As a Senator of Nairobi, when the committee report on the public accounts was brought here, you saw that Nairobi has the highest spending bills of over Ksh100 billion,” he said, stressing the urgency of timely funding.
His remarks add to growing pressure from governors and county assemblies, who have repeatedly warned that continued delays in disbursements risk paralyzing operations at the devolved level.
Sifuna’s statement is expected to intensify debate over government spending priorities, with counties insisting that redirecting resources from national extravagance to local development is the only way to secure reliable services for citizens.
