NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenya spent nearly Sh2.9 billion on foreign travel by state officials in the year to June 2025, exposing large delegations, costly missions, and questionable expenses despite government orders to rein in overseas trips.
A new report by the Controller of Budget (CoB) shows Geneva, New York, and Dubai were the most frequented cities, with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conference in Switzerland emerging as the single most expensive mission.
The Labour and Skills Development Department sent 40 officials to Geneva for 15 days at a cost of Sh147 million, the report says.
New York trips, mainly for UN meetings and bilateral engagements, accounted for Sh80.7 million, while Dubai hosted 70 officials for training and workshops at Sh56 million.
In Washington, 71 officials spent Sh38.5 million on Africa-US trade talks, World Bank meetings, and President William Ruto’s May 2024 State visit.
Overall, 12 countries consumed 56 per cent of the total travel bill. Ethiopia topped the list at Sh1.12 billion, followed by the US (Sh147.6 million), Switzerland (Sh147 million), Tanzania (Sh68.4 million), Dubai (Sh56 million), South Sudan (Sh41.2 million), China (Sh27.4 million), and Uganda (Sh18.5 million).
The report also flagged unusual expenditure, including Sh300,000 spent on winter clothing for five Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officers during undercover training in Florida, and Sh4.39 million for Dorcas Rigathi, spouse of then Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, to attend the African Widows’ Summit in Zanzibar.
The surge in spending came despite an October 2023 circular by Head of Public Service Felix Koskey suspending non-essential foreign travel.
The directive limited delegations to three for cabinet secretaries, two for principal secretaries, and one for heads of state corporations, and capped trip durations at seven days.
But most delegations far exceeded the limits, with some trips involving up to 40 officials and lasting more than two weeks, underscoring lax enforcement of cost-cutting measures.
The CoB has in recent years repeatedly warned about runaway travel costs even as public debt and pending bills weigh heavily on state finances. Kenya’s public debt hit Sh11.7 trillion in June 2025, according to Treasury data.
