Questions over government spending are emerging after billions of shillings were used on travel, hospitality and expenses outside the budget approved by Parliament during the 2025/26 financial year.
Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o reported that the government spent Sh42.41 billion on travel and hospitality during the year.
Domestic and foreign travel accounted for Sh30.69 billion, while Sh11.72 billion was spent on hospitality, mainly tea and refreshments.
State House, Parliament and the Interior Ministry were among the institutions that recorded some of the highest spending in these areas. State House spent Sh2.4 billion on domestic travel and another Sh1.66 billion on hospitality.
The expenditure comes as the government faces continued pressure to reduce unnecessary costs and improve the management of public funds.
The figures could therefore lead to renewed scrutiny of how government institutions prioritise their spending.
Nyakang’o also raised concern over the use of funds outside expenditure plans approved by Parliament.
A total of Sh209.37 billion was spent through this arrangement in the 2025/26 financial year, compared with Sh66.54 billion in the previous year.
The increase means spending outside the approved plans was more than three times higher than the amount recorded a year earlier.
The government used Article 223 of the Constitution to support the additional expenditure.
The provision allows the use of extra funds for emergencies or expenses that could not reasonably have been anticipated when the budget was prepared.
However, Nyakang’o found that the provision was used in some cases to finance routine government operations instead of genuine emergencies.
This has raised concerns about whether the constitutional provision is being applied for the purpose for which it was intended.
The National Treasury accounted for the largest portion of the additional spending, using Sh148.2 billion through the arrangement.
The findings put further attention on government financial controls and the need for institutions to operate within budgets approved by Parliament.
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