By Fridah Mbuvi, June 11, 2026
The Controller of Budget (CoB) report has revealed that the Office of the Deputy President spent a total of Sh298 million on travel expenses between July 2025 and March 2026, despite ongoing government directives aimed at reducing non-essential expenditure.
The spending was recorded during the first nine months of the 2025/2026 financial year, a period in which the government had ordered ministries and state agencies to cut travel and hospitality costs as part of broader austerity measures.
Breakdown of Travel Spending
According to the report, the expenditure was divided into domestic and international travel:
The office spent Sh222 million on domestic travel, covering local working visits, county tours, and official engagements across the country.
An additional Sh76 million was used for foreign travel, including international delegations and official duties abroad.
Part of Wider Government Spending
The Deputy President’s travel bill forms part of a broader Sh17.3 billion total travel expenditure by the national government over the same period.
State House recorded significantly higher spending, including Sh1.3 billion on foreign travel and Sh69 million on domestic trips, highlighting the scale of expenditure across top executive offices.
Austerity Concerns
The Controller of Budget’s findings have intensified scrutiny over government spending, particularly in relation to repeated calls for fiscal restraint.
The high travel costs across senior government offices are seen as conflicting with directives aimed at reducing travel and hospitality budgets by up to 50 percent to ease pressure on public finances.
Critics argue that continued high spending undermines austerity efforts at a time when the government is struggling with a widening fiscal deficit and competing development priorities.
