Billions of shillings continued to be spent on travel and hospitality by government institutions in the first nine months of the 2025/2026 financial year, according to a new report by the Office of the Controller of Budget (CoB), despite ongoing calls for austerity and prudent use of public resources.

The report indicates that by March 2026, the national government had spent the Ksh.3.4 trillion. Of this amount, Ksh.2.9 trillion went towards recurrent expenditure, while Ksh.507.9 billion was used to finance development projects.

Among the key concerns highlighted in the report is the sustained increase in expenditure on both local and international travel.

Figures released by the Controller of Budget show that government agencies spent a combined Ksh.17.3 billion on travel between July 2025 and March 2026.

State House ranked among the highest spenders on foreign travel, second only to the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.

During the period under review, it spent Ksh.1.3 billion on international trips and Ksh.69 million on domestic travel.

The Office of the Deputy President also recorded significant expenditure, spending Ksh.76 million on foreign travel and Ksh.222 million on local trips.

Parliament’s travel expenditure remained substantial. The National Assembly spent Ksh.2.8 billion on international travel and another Ksh.1.5 billion on domestic travel during the nine-month period.

The Senate also recorded high travel costs, spending Ksh.1 billion on local trips and Ksh.815 million on foreign travel.

Away from transport-related expenses, the report points to a notable rise in hospitality spending across government institutions.

“The national government, Parliament and the Judiciary collectively spent Ksh.4.9 billion on hospitality, representing a 33 per cent increase from the Ksh.3.7 billion recorded during the same period in the previous financial year,” CoB said .

Parliament accounted for Ksh.283 million of the hospitality expenditure.
Meanwhile, State House, the Office of the Deputy President and the Executive Office of the President jointly spent Ksh.703 million on hospitality-related activities.

The findings emerge at a time when the government has repeatedly urged public institutions to cut unnecessary expenditure as part of wider efforts to manage public finances and reduce pressure on the national budget.

The latest figures are likely to renew debate over government spending priorities, with observers expected to question whether public institutions are fully embracing the cost-cutting measures they have consistently championed.

As economic pressures persist, accountability and prudent management of public funds remain central to public expectations.