Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura has strongly refuted claims that his office was allocated Ksh.36 billion in the 2025/26 national budget, terming the allegations as gross misinformation aimed at misleading Kenyans.
Speaking in response to remarks by Diana Gichengo, the Executive Director of The Institute for Social Accountability (TISA), Mwaura clarified that his office receives less than Ksh.100 million annually. Gichengo, during a recent interview on Spice FM, had questioned the government’s austerity narrative, highlighting what she claimed were ballooning budgets under the Office of the President.
“They claim the Office of the President’s budget dropped from about Ksh.100 billion to Ksh.5.5 billion, but it has simply been broken into sub-offices such as the Deputy President, Government Spokesperson, and State Corporations Advisory Committee,” Gichengo said. She further claimed that the travel and subsistence budget for the Government Spokesperson’s office surged from Ksh.19.2 billion last year to Ksh.36 billion this year.
Mwaura, in a blunt rejoinder, accused Gichengo of distorting facts for personal or institutional gain, claiming she was “posturing for dollars” from international donors. “How do you go on Spice FM and lie to Kenyans that my office gets Ksh.36 billion? The budget of my office is not even Ksh.100 million,” he said.
He further warned against spreading misinformation, particularly on social media, which he argued could incite unrest similar to what was witnessed during protests against the Finance Bill 2024.
“Let’s be careful not to incite Kenyans because we want to create another Finance Bill moment. This time round, we will not allow our country to go down the drain,” Mwaura stated.
While urging Kenyans to submit their views through official channels, he also noted that the window for public participation on the Finance Bill 2025 had already closed on May 27.
Mwaura reiterated the government’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and called on civil society actors to engage truthfully and constructively.
