The controller of budget, Margaret Nyakang’o, has flagged excessive government travel after the national government spent Ksh.25.46 billion on local and foreign trips in the last financial year. The revelation comes despite earlier commitments by President William Ruto to slash travel costs by half.
Two years ago, the president promised to cut travel spending by Ksh.11 billion to free up funds for development. “Tunapunguza pesa ya travel ya all government agencies by 50 per cent,” he said. A year later, he announced further restrictions to curb unnecessary trips after the Finance Bill 2024 was rejected.
Why is the government still overspending on travel?
According to Nyakang’o, there has been little to no progress in reducing these costs. The Ksh.25.46 billion spent between July 2024 and June 2025 reflects only a minimal drop of Ksh.1.7 billion compared to the target of Ksh.11 billion.
“I still see elements of too much foreign travel in a sense that we are now encroaching on resources for development,” said Nyakang’o. She emphasized that the rising costs are undermining crucial projects. “Our development budget reduced significantly,” she added.
What is driving the extra spending?
State House alone made an additional requisition of Ksh.5 billion under Article 223, which permits emergency funding. The money went into domestic travel, hospitality services, fuel, and vehicle maintenance. Nyakang’o warned of the broader impact: “These 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.”
Where are officials traveling most?
Preferred destinations include Dubai, London, South Africa, and the United States. These trips, Nyakang’o noted, have shifted resources away from development, leaving the country more reliant on borrowing to plug deficits.
The report underscores a growing concern: despite repeated promises of austerity, government spending on travel remains a significant burden on the national budget.
By Lucky Anyanje