Sifuna: Billions go to State House handouts as counties struggle
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has accused the government of prioritising State House activities over the financial needs of county governments, alleging that billions of shillings are being spent on handouts to delegations while devolved units remain underfunded.
Speaking during a Senate session on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, Sifuna claimed that the Treasury does not treat county allocations as a priority, instead channelling resources to sustain large delegations hosted at State House.
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He questioned the source of funds used in such gatherings, where attendees allegedly leave with cash rewards.
“Treasury does not consider money that goes to county governments a priority. We can see where the money is going. How can you host 10,000 people at once and all of them with Ksh10,000? Where are you getting that money?” Sifuna posed.
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The Senator argued that if governors were to stage similar events at county headquarters, oversight bodies such as the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) would swiftly intervene.
He said the lack of scrutiny for the Executive highlights double standards in the enforcement of financial accountability.
“If a governor were to pull such a stunt, the EACC would be in his office tomorrow. But we are seeing huge delegations being hosted and being given money,” he added.
Stalled development projects
Sifuna insisted that redirecting funds from what he termed “lavish” national government spending to counties would result in better service delivery.
He maintained that counties are bearing the brunt of stalled development projects and delayed salaries due to delayed disbursements from the Treasury.
“As a Senator of Nairobi, when the committee report on the public accounts was brought here, you saw that Nairobi has the highest spending bills of over Ksh100 billion,” he noted, stressing that devolved units cannot meet their obligations without timely and sufficient funding.
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The remarks come amid growing pressure from governors and county assemblies for the national government to release funds on time, with many devolved units warning of financial paralysis.
Sifuna’s remarks are likely to fuel fresh questions on government spending, with counties insisting that redirecting resources from national extravagance to devolved units is the only way to secure reliable services for citizens.
