Governors set for showdown with senators over extravagant spending

Governors are set for a showdown with senators over reports revealing massive wastage and extravagant spending in the counties.

Senators have resolved to summon the county leaders to explain the irregular and excessive expenditures detailed in a report by the Controller of Budget, Margaret Nyakang'o.

Nyakang'o's Financial Year 2023-24 annual expenditure report exposed troubling financial habits within the 47 devolved units.

The report, which highlighted Sh17.60 billion spent on domestic and foreign travel, has prompted the Senate's Finance and Budget Committee to take action.

"During this quarter, the committee will review the Controller of Budget's County governments Budget Implementation Reports for the 2023-24 Financial Year," said committee vice-chairperson, Tabitha Mutinda, while addressing the Senate.

This marks the committee's first evaluation of these specific reports, further deepening the Senate's oversight of county finances.

In addition to the Finance and Budget Committee, other oversight committees, such as the County Public Accounts and Investments Committee and the County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee, have been grilling governors on similar findings in Auditor General Nancy Gathungu's reports.

The upcoming session, however, is expected to intensify scrutiny over the alleged financial mismanagement in the counties.

'Bad financial manners'

During a debate on the 2024 Division of Revenue Bill, senators expressed their frustrations with what they termed as 'bad financial manners' exhibited by some county chiefs.

Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, the Majority Whip, was particularly vocal about the issue of foreign travel costs.

"I call out our governors for their bad manners regarding foreign travel. The amount spent on these trips is shocking," Khalwale said.

"I hear some people are harassing the Controller of Budget because she's exposing them too much. The National Assembly should allocate more money to her because she's doing a good job. She's calling them out so the Senate can take action," he added.

Nyakang'o's report indicated that county governments spent Sh15.28 billion on domestic travel and Sh2.32 billion on foreign trips, totalling Sh17.60 billion.

The report emphasised that such spending was wasteful, especially at a time when counties are struggling with service delivery.

"It is unacceptable that travel costs in counties are skyrocketing," said Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi.

"Hearing that a county has spent Sh400 or Sh500 million on local travel is not just about travelling; it is another form of corruption," he added.

Among the counties with the highest travel expenditures were Turkana and Nairobi, both almost surpassing the Sh1 billion mark.

Turkana County, led by Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai, was among the biggest spenders, with Sh943.44 million spent on travel, including Sh694.46 million by the county executive. Notably, Sh25.67 million was spent on foreign travel. In one instance, 10 county executives spent Sh2.9 million on a trip to Uganda to attend a case hearing for 32 convicted pastoralists on August 20, 2023.

Nairobi County, under Governor Johnson Sakaja, was also a top spender, splurging Sh861.57 million on travel, with Sh328.33 million spent on foreign travel alone.

A notable example was a 19-member delegation of county executives who travelled to Marrakesh, Morocco, in June 2024 for a proactive management program, costing the taxpayer Sh37.23 million. Other favoured destinations for the city's leadership included the UAE, Canada, Italy, New York, and Istanbul.

The preferred destinations included Dubai, Canada, and China, despite a government directive freezing non-essential travel during the Financial Year 2023-2024.

According to the Controller of Budget, the county officials disregarded the travel freeze, raising questions about the necessity of these trips.