Recurrent Government expenditure rises despite pledges to cut costs

Government spending on recurrent expenditures surged despite pledges to reduce costs, according to a recent report.
Key sectors, including the State Department for Basic Education and the State Department for Vocational and Technical Training, saw notable increases in spending. The former recorded Sh0.34 million in expenditures, while the latter spent Sh0.94 million.
The total amount spent from the national budget on hospitality reached Sh590.13 million during the period under review.
Additionally, there was a significant rise in spending on Salaries, Allowances, and Miscellaneous, with the Judiciary alone spending Sh680.03 million, or 22% of the revised allocation of Sh3.11 billion.
Other government bodies also saw considerable spending within SAM. The Teachers Service Commission used Sh18.62 million, representing 25% of its Sh75.51 million budget, while the Office of the Attorney General spent Sh5.51 million, 48% of its allocated Sh11.57 million.
The report also highlighted discrepancies in the budget allocations for salaries and allowances between fiscal years 2023/24 and 2024/25.
The Salaries and Remuneration Commission had previously gazetted the remuneration for constitutional officeholders, making such variations concerning.
Furthermore, the report pointed out that three offices— the Commission on Administrative Justice (54%), the Office of the Attorney General (48%), and the National Gender and Equality Commission (44%)— used over 40% of their budgets in just the first three months of FY 2024/25.
In response to the rising expenditures, the Auditor General recommended that the National Treasury reassess the SAM budget, suggesting reallocations in Supplementary Budget II to ensure more realistic projections.
In terms of development spending, the government allocated Sh85.30 billion for Capital Transfers, which were primarily directed to Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies (SAGAs). This category accounted for 80% of the total development expenditure.