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County governments in Kenya have spent a staggering Sh13.17 billion on domestic and foreign travel in the first nine months of the 2025/26 financial year. This revelation comes at a time when major development projects are stalled, and hospitals are crying out for funds.
According to the County Budget Implementation Review Report by the Controller of Budget, Margaret Nyakang’o, the hefty sum was spent on conferences, seminars, and meetings. This is a huge concern, especially when one considers the fact that hundreds of health facilities are still waiting for crucial equipment, and thousands of classroom projects remain abandoned due to lack of funds.
The report breaks down the expenditure into domestic and foreign travel, with Sh6.45 billion spent on domestic travel and Sh6.72 billion on foreign travel. These figures are indeed staggering, and one wonders how a government can justify such lavish spending at a time when its citizens are suffering.
The question now is, what exactly did the county governments achieve with this Sh13 billion? The Controller of Budget’s report does not provide a clear answer, but one thing is certain – the funds could have been better utilized to improve the lives of Kenyans.
Margaret Nyakang’o, the Controller of Budget, was appointed in 2022 by President William Ruto to oversee the implementation of county budgets. Prior to her appointment, she served as the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service and Gender.
The county governments’ love for luxury travel is nothing new, but the scale of the spending is alarming. In recent years, there have been several reports of county executives and their teams embarking on expensive trips abroad, only to return with nothing to show for it.
The impact of this scandal will be felt across the country, as funds that could have been used for vital projects are squandered on travel and conferences. Kenyans are tired of this kind of wastage and are calling for accountability from their leaders.
The Kenyan government has launched several anti-corruption initiatives in recent years, but it seems that the war against corruption is far from over. With the county governments’ spending on luxury travel, it’s clear that more needs to be done to prevent such scandals from happening in the future.
The Controller of Budget’s report has shed light on the county governments’ spending habits, and now it’s up to the government to take action. Kenyans are watching and waiting to see how their leaders will respond to this shocking revelation.