Raila’s AU bid, Ruto’s tours among reasons State sought extra Sh48bn
The third quarterly budget review by Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o reveals that only Sh42.22 billion of the requested amount was approved between July 2024 and March 2025.
A new government report shows the state made additional funding requests totalling Sh48.8 billion to support Raila Odinga’s campaign for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson role and President William Ruto’s domestic activities.
The third quarterly budget review by Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o reveals that only Sh42.22 billion of the requested amount was approved between July 2024 and March 2025.
The requests came from 16 government ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and State House.
According to the report, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested Sh523.8 million to back Raila’s campaign. Only Sh216.3 million was granted.
Raila was defeated by Djibouti’s Mahamoud Ali Youssouf during the January 2025 AU summit in Addis Ababa, despite Kenya sending a large team of MPs and high-level officials led by the President.
State House asked for Sh1.5 billion to cover travel, hospitality, rent, fuel, and other routine expenses, but received Sh1.15 billion.
"During the first nine months of FY 2024/2025, the Controller of Budget authorised a total of Sh42.22 billion under Article 223 of the Constitution. All the affected additional funding was regularised in Supplementary II budget estimates as required by Article 223 (2) of the Constitution, except for Sh1.24 billion disbursed by the World Bank and spent by the State Department for Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs under the Kenya Social and Economic Inclusion Project," states the report.
Nyakang’o warned that the government’s repeated use of Article 223 to cover regular spending signals weak financial planning.
She called on the National Treasury to improve fiscal discipline, saying performance tracking had been disrupted by in-year changes and delays in projects.
"To strengthen expenditure management, government agencies should reduce reliance on Article 223 by ensuring better upfront budgeting for known expenditures," reads the report.
Other institutions also sought additional money.
The National Police Service asked for Sh2.3 billion for its involvement in the Haiti peacekeeping mission, but was only given Sh1 billion.
The State Department for Broadcasting and Telecommunication requested Sh627.6 million to pay debts owed through the Government Advertising Agency.
This was cut to Sh354.3 million. The Roads Department's plan to use unspent annuity funds for the Illasit-Njukini-Taveta road was turned down.
Some requests were fully approved. The State Department for Public Health got Sh1.75 billion to pay salary arrears for doctors under the 2017–2021 agreement.
The Education Department’s request for Sh1.5 billion for Moi University was reduced to Sh500 million.
The Controller of Budget also allowed a Sh19.6 billion request to repay guaranteed debts linked to Kenya Airways.
