Nairobi — The Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang'o has clarified earlier reports suggesting Second Lady Joyce Kithure's office spent Sh44.5 million in the first half of the 2025/26 financial year.
In a statement, the Office of the Controller of Budget (OCoB) said the expenditure had been incorrectly attributed to the "Office of the Spouse of the Deputy President (OSDP) Affirmative Action Intervention sub-programme" in the National Government Budget Implementation Review Report (NGBIRR).
The Sh44.52 million actually spent under the "Government Strategic Priority Intervention" sub-programme.
"The error arose from the transposition of figures between two sub-programmes that followed each other on the reporting template," OCoB explained.
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The office added that the misclassification was compounded by reporting inconsistencies in the Deputy President's budget performance submissions.
The report, covering the period from July 1 to December 31, 2025, is the second quarterly review for FY 2025/26. It is part of Kenya's legal requirements under Article 228(6) of the Constitution and the Controller of Budget Act, Cap 429, which mandate quarterly budget performance reports to Parliament.
177-billion-shilling reduction
The FY 2025/26 budget, part of Kenya's fourth Medium-Term Plan (2023-2027) under the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), aims to boost investments in key sectors, including agriculture, micro, small, and medium enterprises, healthcare, housing, digital infrastructure, and creative industries.
The government's original gross budget for the year was 4.69 trillion shillings, up from Sh4.37 trillion in FY 2024/25. Education received the largest allocation at Sh703.07 billion, followed by Energy, Infrastructure, and ICT at Sh534.63 billion.
In July 2024, President William Ruto revised an earlier plan to cut the national budget by Sh346 billion shillings, instead opting for a 177-billion-shilling reduction, with the balance funded through borrowing.
The adjustments were aimed at preserving funding for priority initiatives, including hiring additional Junior Secondary School teachers, medical interns, fertilizer subsidies, and support for farmers.
President Ruto also announced austerity measures targeting operational efficiency and transparency, including the dissolution of 47 state corporations and a 50pc reduction in government advisors.
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Ruto also announced the suspension of certain appointments and removal of budget lines for offices of the First Lady and spouses of senior officials.
"These measures are part of our commitment to enhance efficiency and transparency in serving the people of Kenya," the President said, emphasizing the government's goal of maximizing value for public resources.
