Isiolo, Mandera among 30 counties saving millions of shillings by curbing costly foreign trips
By Maureen Kinyanjui |
This marks the second consecutive year that some counties, including Trans Nzoia, Isiolo and Uasin Gishu, have avoided foreign travel altogether.
In a notable change from previous spending patterns, Isiolo, Mandera, and 28 other counties did not incur any foreign travel expenses during the first three months of the current fiscal year 2024-2025, according to a new report by Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang'o.
The report reveals that foreign travel expenditure across all counties dropped to Sh97.2 million, a reduction compared to Sh324 million in the same period last year.
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This is the first time in years that foreign travel spending has seen such a decline, signalling a tightening of budgets in response to economic challenges.
Counties that abstained from foreign travel include Baringo, Kiambu, Machakos, Migori, Elgeyo Marakwet, and Kajiado. Others are Turkana, Kericho, Wajir, Kirinyaga, and Nyamira.
This marks the second consecutive year that some counties, including Trans Nzoia, Isiolo and Uasin Gishu, have avoided foreign travel altogether.
The report highlights a broader trend toward responsible financial management.
For years, county governments have been criticised for spending excessive amounts on questionable foreign trips.
In 2022 alone, counties collectively spent Sh17 billion on travel, prompting public outcry over wasteful expenditure.
Despite these improvements, 16 counties still spent heavily on foreign trips, totalling Sh100 million in just three months.
Busia led the list with Sh20 million, followed by Nyeri (Sh17 million) and Kisumu (Sh16.2 million). Notable destinations included Singapore, Dubai, and Canada.
Costly and Questionable Trips
The report details some of the trips that raised eyebrows. In Busia, six executives spent Sh3 million on a benchmarking mission to China for rainwater harvesting.
Similarly, Nyeri County assembly members made multiple trips, including spending Sh6.5 million in Arusha to study the East Africa Legislative Assembly and Sh4 million in Singapore for a facilitation skills course.
In Kisumu, Sh16 million went towards unspecified "various meetings" in the US, while some officers travelled for a thanksgiving ceremony in Uganda and others attended conferences in Pennsylvania, Singapore, and Mauritania.
The spending persisted despite a government directive issued in October 2023 by Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, which suspended non-essential travel for public officers.
The directive emphasised virtual meetings and capped delegation sizes and travel durations.
The Controller of Budget has repeatedly criticised foreign travel as a "possibly wasteful expenditure" and urged counties to prioritise development projects over luxurious trips.
The reduction in travel spending by 30 counties shows signs of progress, but the persistence of extravagant travel in others highlights the need for stricter enforcement of cost-cutting measures.
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