CoB Margaret Nyakang’o flags govt for overspending on travel
By David Nthua, September 3, 2025Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o has raised the alarm over excessive government expenditure on travel by the government, revealing that money meant for development was diverted to recurrent spending.
Speaking to the media during the release of the National Government Budget Implementation Review for the 2024–2025 financial year on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, Nyakang’o said the state spent a staggering Ksh25.46 billion on local and foreign travel.
“I still see elements of too much foreign travel in the sense that we are now encroaching on resources for development,” Nyakang’o said.
She warned that the excessive travel was derailing national projects. “Our development budget has been reduced significantly,” she added.
State House spending flagged
The report also showed that the State House made an additional requisition of Ksh5 billion under Article 223 of the Constitution, which permits extra funding in extraordinary circumstances.
According to Nyakang’o, the funds went into domestic travel, hospitality, fuel, and vehicle maintenance.
“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,” she explained.
The Controller of Budget further noted that State House expenditure was not only high but also unsustainable, with implications for development financing.
Ruto’s unfulfilled promises
The revelations now raise questions about President William Ruto’s austerity pledge.
In 2023, Ruto promised to cut government travel by 50 per cent, but later repeated the commitment after the collapse of the Finance Bill 2024, promising more stringent measures to redirect funds to development.
However, Nyakang’o’s latest report indicates little progress has been made.
Preferred destinations for senior government officials, the report shows, included Dubai, London, South Africa, and the United States, with trips accounting for the largest share of the recurrent expenditure.
Analysts now warn that unless reforms are taken seriously, Kenya risks sliding further into debt as development projects stall.
Nyakang’o stressed that austerity cannot remain rhetoric if the government expects to earn public trust.