NAIROBI, Kenya – The government requested an additional Sh48.8 billion for activities including former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s failed bid for African Union Commission chairperson and President William Ruto’s local tours, a new budget review report by the Controller of Budget has revealed.
In the third-quarter Budget Implementation Review Report for the 2024/25 financial year, Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o flagged what she termed growing reliance on emergency budget provisions to fund predictable government expenses — a practice she warned was undermining fiscal discipline.
Covering national government spending between July 2024 and March 2025, the report shows that the Foreign Affairs Ministry and State House were among 16 government departments and agencies that requested additional funding under Article 223 of the Constitution, which allows spending before parliamentary approval in urgent cases.
Sh523m for Raila’s AU Campaign — But It Still Failed
The Foreign Affairs Ministry sought Sh523.8 million to support Raila Odinga’s campaign for the top continental job, though only Sh216.3 million was approved.
Despite the deployment of a large Kenyan delegation — including President Ruto and over 100 MPs — to the African Union summit in Addis Ababa in January 2025, Odinga lost the race to Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf.
State House Gets Over Sh1 Billion for Tours, Fuel and Hospitality
Meanwhile, State House requested Sh1.5 billion for a range of domestic expenses including local travel, hospitality, rent, fuel, and vehicle maintenance. Nyakang’o approved Sh1.15 billion of that request.
In total, the Controller of Budget authorised Sh42.2 billion in spending under Article 223 during the nine-month period.
While most of the additional allocations were later regularised through supplementary budget estimates, Sh1.24 billion disbursed by the World Bank to the State Department for Social Protection remains outside that legal framework.
CoB: Poor Planning Undermining Budget Credibility
Nyakang’o criticised the continued use of Article 223 to cover costs that could have been anticipated through regular budgeting.
“There is a need for improved fiscal planning and enhanced revenue collection,” the report states. “Government agencies should reduce reliance on Article 223 by ensuring better upfront budgeting for known expenditures.”
She added that frequent in-year changes to programme targets and delays in completing development projects were disrupting performance tracking and implementation.
Billions More for Police, Health, and Debt Bailouts
Other notable funding requests included:
- Sh2.3 billion by the National Police Service for Kenya’s security mission in Haiti — only Sh1 billion was approved.
- Sh1.75 billion for salary arrears owed to doctors under the 2017–2021 CBA, which was fully approved.
- Sh627.6 million by the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Department to pay pending advertising bills through the Government Advertising Agency — this was cut to Sh354.3 million.
- A request for Sh1.5 billion by the State Department for University Education to support Moi University was cut down to Sh500 million.
Additionally, Nyakang’o approved Sh19.6 billion to settle state-guaranteed debt on behalf of the cash-strapped Kenya Airways.
However, a request by the Roads Department to reallocate funds from the Roads Annuity Fund to finance the Illasit–Njukini–Taveta Road was rejected.
