KDRTV News – Nairobi: Kenya’s Controller of Budget, Dr. Margaret Nyakang’o, has revealed that government officials spent a staggering KSh 9.5 billion on domestic and foreign trips in just nine months of the current fiscal year. Such extravagance, coupled with hidden loan commitment fees, risks deepening the budget deficit and pushing the nation toward default.
The Cost of Non-Essential Travel
Appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Public Debt and Privatisation on May 30th, Nyakang’o questioned the need for overseas travel when similar meetings could be held locally. She cited an example of a fully Kenyan-facilitated conference in Istanbul that could have taken place in Mombasa at a fraction of the cost. Last year, President Ruto’s administration alone spent KSh 5 billion on foreign travel, an increase of KSh 4.11 billion from the prior year.
Hidden Fees and Rising Salaries
Beyond ticket fares and allowances, Kenya paid KSh 770.5 million in loan commitment fees during the same period, a result of misaligned project readiness and premature disbursements. Meanwhile, salaries, benefits, and miscellaneous expenses climbed by KSh 4.67 billion, even as pension and gratuity payments lag behind, with only KSh 115 billion disbursed against an allocation of KSh 223 billion.
Broader Context of Travel Spending
These figures reflect a wider trend: in FY 2023/24, government travel soared to KSh 27.34 billion – an increase driven partly by large delegations and uncoordinated trips to the same destinations by different ministries. Such patterns flout austerity directives issued in December 2023, which called for essential state travel only.
Call for Fiscal Prudence
Nyakang’o warned that without strict controls on non-essential spending, Kenya may face “serious financial risks, including defaulting on its obligations”. She urged the government to adopt measures such as channeling revenues through the Treasury Single Account (TSA), enforcing the austerity order, and aligning loan disbursements with project readiness.
Kenyans now grapples with rising debt and a widening budget gap, the CoB’s report serves as a wake-up call. Redirecting even a portion of the KSh 9.5 billion spent on travel could fund health, education, or infrastructure projects – vital investments for the country’s future.
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