By Fridah Mbuvi, June 11, 2026
The Controller of Budget (CoB), Margaret Nyakang’o, has revealed that Parliament spent a staggering Sh6.11 billion on travel in just nine months, raising fresh concerns over government spending discipline amid ongoing austerity measures.
The figures are contained in the National Government Budget Implementation Review Report, which covers the period between July 2025 and March 2026. The report shows that Members of Parliament significantly increased both domestic and international travel expenditures despite repeated calls for cost-cutting across government.
Parliament Travel Breakdown
The Sh6.11 billion expenditure was split between the two Houses of Parliament:
The National Assembly spent Sh4.3 billion, including Sh2.8 billion on foreign travel and Sh1.5 billion on domestic travel for oversight and constituency-related duties.
The Senate spent Sh1.815 billion, with Sh1 billion used for domestic travel and county oversight activities, while Sh815 million went to international benchmarking trips.
Wider Government Spending
The report further shows that the national government spent Sh17.3 billion on travel and Sh4.9 billion on hospitality during the same period, representing a 33 percent increase compared to the previous financial year.
State House recorded Sh1.3 billion in foreign travel expenditure and Sh69 million in domestic travel, while the Office of the Deputy President spent Sh222 million on domestic travel and Sh76 million on foreign trips.
Public Backlash Over Spending
The revelations have sparked criticism over government spending priorities at a time when the country continues to face fiscal pressure and delayed development funding.
Critics say the expenditure contradicts President William Ruto’s earlier directive ordering a 50 percent reduction in official travel costs as part of wider austerity measures aimed at narrowing the budget deficit.
Concerns have also been raised over the contrast between rising travel and hospitality spending and delayed funding to key development and social sectors.
