Controller of Budget flags wasteful spending as counties squander Ksh.17B on travel

Counties diverted funds meant for critical projects to bankroll lavish trips

The Controller of Budget has raised the alarm over wasteful spending by counties, with a new report indicating that over Ksh.17 billion was spent on travel in the last financial year.

The report, which covers the period between July 2021 and June 2022, shows that the amount spent on travel by counties represents a significant increase from the previous year, when Ksh.14 billion was spent on the same.

The report highlights several instances of wasteful spending, including:

• One county spent Ksh.10 million on a single trip to a foreign country, with the delegation staying in a five-star hotel and flying business class.
• Another county spent Ksh.5 million on a trip to a local tourist destination, with the delegation staying in a luxury resort and hiring a private jet.
• Several counties spent hundreds of thousands of shillings on travel allowances for staff who were not actually traveling.

The report also notes that some counties have been diverting funds meant for critical projects to bankroll lavish trips.

For example, one county diverted Ksh.50 million from a water project to fund a trip to a foreign country.

The Controller of Budget has called on counties to exercise greater fiscal discipline and to prioritize spending on critical projects.

The report comes amid growing concerns over the rising cost of living in Kenya, with many Kenyans struggling to make ends meet.

The Auditor-General has also raised concerns over the misuse of public funds by counties, with a recent report finding that over Ksh.200 billion was lost to corruption and mismanagement in the last financial year.

The government has pledged to crack down on corruption and to hold those responsible for misusing public funds to account.