President William Ruto’s government’s call for austerity is facing scrutiny after new data from the Controller of Budget revealed inconsistencies in expenditure across government agencies. While Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) showed modest reductions in recurrent costs, top offices appear to be sidestepping the directive.
Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o’s latest report covering the first nine months of the 2024/25 financial year reveals that domestic travel expenditure dropped by Sh600 million to Sh11.7 billion, and hospitality spending reduced by Sh900 million to Sh3.7 billion. However, these gains were undercut by ballooning travel budgets in top offices.
The Office of the President saw its domestic travel costs surge from Sh34 million to Sh145 million, while State House spending rose from Sh750 million to Sh1 billion. The Internal Security department, responsible for facilitating presidential functions, also recorded a 60 percent increase in travel spending, rising to Sh1.04 billion.
Foreign travel told a similar story. While the National Assembly and Senate trimmed foreign trips by Sh300 million and Sh154 million respectively, the President’s foreign travel budget increased by over Sh9 million. Total travel spending across MDAs stood at Sh16.83 billion, with foreign travel alone costing Sh2.29 billion.
State House also spent Sh697 million on hospitality, only Sh74 million less than the previous year—raising questions about the effectiveness of austerity efforts. Some MDAs, such as the State Department for Foreign Affairs, spent heavily on diplomatic campaigns, including Sh216 million in support of Raila Odinga’s African Union Commission chairmanship bid.
Meanwhile, rising fuel and vehicle maintenance costs—up Sh100 million and Sh400 million respectively—further diluted any gains from austerity. The report also flagged Sh1.06 billion in ambiguous “other expenses” under the State Department for Medical Services.
The government’s pending bills remain a critical concern, with Sh511.75 billion still unpaid as of March 2025. Delayed payments continue to hurt small businesses and suppliers. Nyakang’o warned of flawed budgeting processes, unrealistic revenue targets, and reliance on unapproved spending undermining Kenya Kwanza’s austerity narrative.
