Controller of Budget (CoB) Margret Nyakang’o released a new report Thursday revealing that, despite public outrage, national and county governments continue to waste public funds on excessive and unnecessary travel.
Nyakang’o exposed county governments for spending Ksh 17 billion on travel during the fiscal year 2023/2024.
According to the CoB, county leaders spent Ksh15.28 billion on domestic travel and Ksh2.32 billion on foreign travel.
“During the financial year, the Controller of Budget noted excessive expenditures by county governments on travel, which may be wasteful, amounted to Ksh17.60 billion,” the report stated.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti, and Turkana Governor Jeremiah Ekamais Lomorukai Napotikan were the most traveled governors, each spending nearly Ksh1 billion on travel.
According to the report, governors and MCAs from Nairobi, Machakos, and Turkana travel primarily to China, Canada, Turkey, South Africa and Dubai.
The budget controller described these trips as wasteful and extravagant.
Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) were also criticised for overspending on domestic travel.
The report detailed how ten Turkana county executives spent Ksh2.9 million to travel to Uganda on August 20, 2023, to attend the hearing of 32 convicted pastoralists.
Nairobi County leadership, led by Governor Johnson Sakaja, spent Ksh861 million on travel, with the County Assembly spending Ksh329 million and the Nairobi County Executives spending Ksh532 million.
Foreign travel in Nairobi County cost Ksh328 million, with the County Assembly paying Ksh127 million and the County Executive contributing Ksh200 million.
The CoB’s revelations come as counties face a cash crunch, with most devolved units still not paying their employees after three months.
Nyakang’o advised county governments to reduce travel expenses by holding activities within their headquarters and allocating funds to key development programs.
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