The Treasury has asked Parliament to approve an extra Sh8.4 billion for State House, Nairobi, to cover rising costs linked to travel, hospitality, and other day-to-day operations at President William Ruto’s office.
If approved, the overall allocation for the presidency will more than double, rising from the Sh7.68 billion initially approved to Sh16.1 billion.
Most of the increase is concentrated in the main State House in Nairobi, where spending is set to jump 2.4 times from Sh6.14 billion to Sh14.58 billion, an addition of Sh8.44 billion. Recurrent budgets for State House facilities in Mombasa (Sh24.94 million), Nakuru (Sh32.34 million), and State lodges (Sh103.123 million) remain the same, indicating the extra funds are focused on the Nairobi office.
The largest rise comes under the broad budget category “other operating expenses,” which is set to increase by Sh4 billion. This allocation, often criticized for its opacity, has gone up to Sh5.94 billion from the initial Sh1.94 billion.
Domestic travel and subsistence for Ruto’s office, covering transport, accommodation, and allowances during official trips, has surged roughly 5.6 times, from Sh375.6 million to Sh2.12 billion. Hospitality costs have also been revised sharply, from Sh337.7 million to Sh1.61 billion.
An additional Sh1.27 billion is set aside to support official functions, delegations, and receptions at State House through June 2026. Fuel for the presidential fleet is expected to rise from Sh191.2 million to Sh600.4 million, while maintenance of vehicles and other transport equipment increases 288 percent, from Sh136.3 million to Sh530 million.
The Treasury has also approved Sh141 million for the purchase of new cars for State House, a major jump from Sh6.85 million initially approved to Sh147.9 million.
The increase in presidential operational spending comes as the Treasury continues to enforce austerity measures to control public finances.
In the 2026 Budget Policy Statement tabled in Parliament in February, the Treasury said: “The government continues to implement measures to enhance expenditure control and ensure value for money in public spending.”
Key measures include cutting recurrent costs on printing, advertising, travel, communication, training, hospitality, furniture, refurbishment, and vehicle purchases.
Other interventions include the rollout of e-procurement systems to boost transparency, governance reforms for State corporations, including privatization, and a Human Resource Management System to improve wage bill oversight.
Despite these efforts, spending patterns suggest controls in sensitive and security-focused departments are under pressure.
Latest Treasury data show State House had exhausted its annual budget halfway through the financial year ending in June, withdrawing Sh10.40 billion by January against an initial allocation of Sh7.68 billion.
By that point, Ruto’s office had spent 135 percent of its full-year budget, with five months still remaining, underlining the urgency for additional funds.
