Members of Parliament have expressed concern over executive offices proposing large sums for office refurbishments, questioning whether spending millions on leased facilities represents value for taxpayers.
The offices of Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi are under scrutiny for proposed allocations aimed at security upgrades and general refurbishments, with the Administration and Internal Security Committee demanding detailed explanations.
During deliberations on the 2026/27 Budget Policy Statement (BPS), the Committee engaged the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary and the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, represented by Chief of Staff Joseph Busiega.
Busiega said the office seeks Sh280 million for refurbishments at its leased premises in the Kenya Railways Headquarters in Nairobi.
“The allocation is intended for critical security enhancements, including the installation of surveillance systems,” he explained.
Committee members, however, questioned the rationale for investing heavily in a rented facility, calling for justification and assurance of value for money.
The Committee also reviewed the Office of the Deputy President’s BPS, presented by Principal Administrative Secretary Moses Mbaruku. The document proposed a total allocation of about Sh3.581 billion, largely for recurrent expenditure supporting administration, coordination, and supervision.
The office reported a funding gap of roughly Sh967.3 million, citing operational pressures and priority commitments.
The Committee, led by Gabriel Tongoyo, said it will continue meetings with other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to review their budget proposals.
The scrutiny comes amid reports that the State House exceeded its full-year recurrent budget by Sh2.7 billion within the first seven months of the financial year, intensifying calls for tighter spending controls.
Treasury disclosures show that by the end of January 2026, the President’s official residence had spent Sh10.4 billion against an annual recurrent allocation of Sh7.7 billion—overshooting by 35 per cent with five months left in the fiscal year. January alone accounted for Sh1.3 billion in recurrent spending, averaging Sh42.6 million per day.
Similarly, the Office of the Deputy President exceeded its annual recurrent allocation by Sh361.6 million, making the two entities the only ones to breach full-year limits early.
The Treasury has already prepared a supplementary budget for 2025-26, set to increase spending by Sh262.9 billion amid underperforming revenue collections.
Total expenditure for the year is expected to reach Sh4.532 trillion, up from the approved Sh4.269 trillion. Recurrent spending will rise by Sh204.6 billion to Sh3.338 trillion, while the development vote increases by Sh58.3 billion to Sh707.3 billion.
