Government spending on travel climbed to Sh30.69 billion in the year to June 2026, with domestic trips taking the biggest share as the Controller of Budget raised concern over the continued rise in public expenditure.
The National Government Budget Implementation Review Report for the financial year 2025-2026 shows that Sh21.98 billion was spent on domestic travel, while another Sh8.71 billion went towards foreign trips.
Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o said the total travel bill increased by Sh5.2 billion compared with the previous financial year.
The rise comes despite an earlier pledge by President William Ruto to cut government travel costs as part of efforts to reduce waste and unnecessary spending.
"Ile pesa ya watu ya kurandaranda na kuzunguza watu wa magazeti wanasema nimepunguza by KSh.500 million. Hapana, nimepunguza na KSh.11 billion. Tunapunguza pesa ya travel ya all government by 50%," President Ruto said on October 21, 2023.
State House recorded the highest travel bill among the offices listed in the report, spending Sh2.5 billion during the financial year.
Domestic trips made up Sh2.4 billion of the State House expenditure, while foreign travel accounted for Sh159 million.
The State Department for Internal Security and National Administration was another major spender, using Sh1.4 billion on travel.
The State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services spent Sh1.1 billion, while the Office of the Deputy President recorded travel expenditure of Sh655 million.
The Controller of Budget report has also raised concerns over government projects that were started without approved funds in the national budget.
A fact-finding mission carried out by the Controller of Budget in several counties found that the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) had awarded two projects in Homa Bay County without corresponding allocations in the approved 2025-2026 budget.
The projects are the Got Rabuor–Homa Bay Pier Corner–Kodoyo (B2) Road, Phase II, and the realignment of the Homa Bay–Rongo (B3) Road at Kabunde Airstrip.
Despite the lack of approved budget allocations, KeNHA had made advance payments to the contractors undertaking the works.
The payments were meant to help the contractors mobilise personnel and equipment and establish the project sites.
Nyakang’o said such actions could leave the government with financial obligations that were not provided for when the budget was approved.
“This practice contravenes the principle of budget-led procurement, weakens fiscal discipline, exposes the government to unfunded contractual commitments, and compromises the integrity of the budget implementation process,” Nyakang’o said.
The report further showed that the country’s public debt increased by 10 per cent over the same period.
Public debt rose from Sh11.8 trillion in the 2024-2025 financial year to Sh13 trillion by June 2026.
The latest figures therefore show a rise in both the government’s travel spending and its overall debt burden during the financial year.
The report covers the implementation of the National Government budget from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.