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Emmanuel Too
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President William Ruto boards a plane to Burundi for the 23rd Summit of COMESA Heads of State and Government in Bujumbura.
The controller of budget Margaret Nyakangβo has raised a red flag over excessive executive travel, with the national government blowing away Ksh.25 billion in local and foreign travel in the last financial year.
The expenses now come barely a year after the president promised to reduce the budget by 50 per cent in an effort to reduce wastage. Emmanuel Too reports.
It has been two years since President William Ruto first pledged to cut government travel spending by 11 billion shillings, to allow for more money for development.
βTunaunguza pesa ya travel ya all government agencies by 50 per cent,β he said.
The president would, a year later, announce further stringent measures to curb unnecessary travel, to allow more funds to flow into the budgetary deficit after the Finance Bill 2024 was shot down.
However, the report by the auditor general on the expenditure by the national government has shown little to no reduction in the expenditure.
The controller of budget revealed that the national government spent Ksh.25.46 billion on travel alone between the 1st of July 2024 to 30th June 2025. The amount is a meager drop of Ksh.1.7 billion from the target of 11 billion.
βI still see elements of too much foreign travel in a sense that we are now encroaching on resources for development,β said Margaret Nyakangβo, controller of budget.
Nyakangβo said the excessive travel was derailing development.
βOur development budget reduced significantly,β she added.
State House, which made an extra requisition of Ksh.5 billion under Article 223, which allows for additional funding in extraordinary circumstances, splashed the millions on domestic travel, hospitality supplies and services, fuel expenses and maintenance of motor vehicles.
βThese funds have to come from somewhere. So, either another vote is reduced or we must borrow, therefore by extension our indebtedness in terms of local or foreign borrowing is impacted,β said Nyakangβo.
Most of the preferred travel destinations for top government officials include Dubai, UAE, London, UK, South Africa and the US.
Β©Citizen Digital, Kenya
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- The expenses now come barely a year after the president promised to reduce the budget by 50 percent in an effort to reduce wastage. Emmanuel Too reports.
President William Ruto boards a plane to Burundi for the 23rd Summit of COMESA Heads of State and Government in Bujumbura.
The controller of budget Margaret Nyakangβo has raised a red flag over excessive executive travel, with the national government blowing away Ksh.25 billion in local and foreign travel in the last financial year.
The expenses now come barely a year after the president promised to reduce the budget by 50 per cent in an effort to reduce wastage. Emmanuel Too reports.
It has been two years since President William Ruto first pledged to cut government travel spending by 11 billion shillings, to allow for more money for development.
βTunaunguza pesa ya travel ya all government agencies by 50 per cent,β he said.
The president would, a year later, announce further stringent measures to curb unnecessary travel, to allow more funds to flow into the budgetary deficit after the Finance Bill 2024 was shot down.
However, the report by the auditor general on the expenditure by the national government has shown little to no reduction in the expenditure.
The controller of budget revealed that the national government spent Ksh.25.46 billion on travel alone between the 1st of July 2024 to 30th June 2025. The amount is a meager drop of Ksh.1.7 billion from the target of 11 billion.
βI still see elements of too much foreign travel in a sense that we are now encroaching on resources for development,β said Margaret Nyakangβo, controller of budget.
Nyakangβo said the excessive travel was derailing development.
βOur development budget reduced significantly,β she added.
State House, which made an extra requisition of Ksh.5 billion under Article 223, which allows for additional funding in extraordinary circumstances, splashed the millions on domestic travel, hospitality supplies and services, fuel expenses and maintenance of motor vehicles.
βThese funds have to come from somewhere. So, either another vote is reduced or we must borrow, therefore by extension our indebtedness in terms of local or foreign borrowing is impacted,β said Nyakangβo.
Most of the preferred travel destinations for top government officials include Dubai, UAE, London, UK, South Africa and the US.
Β©Citizen Digital, Kenya
Continue reading...
