CoB: Ksh44.52B Spending in Second Lady’s Office Report Was an Error

A Ksh 44.52 million figure in a recent government budget report has been clarified by the Controller of Budget (CoB) after it was mistakenly linked to the Office of the Spouse of the Deputy President.

The Controller of Budget, Margaret Nyakang’o, said the amount was not an additional allocation to that office. Instead, it was wrongly placed in the wrong section of the reporting template during preparation of the National Government Budget Implementation Review Report.

According to CoB, the mistake happened because figures were entered in the incorrect row. The error was also influenced by inconsistencies in the budget performance submissions from the Deputy President’s office.

“The error arose from the transposition of figures between two sub-programmes that followed each other on the reporting template.”

The report covers the period between July and December 2025, which represents the first half of the 2025/26 financial year. Quarterly reviews are required by law to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of public funds.

CoB stressed that the spending was recorded under the government’s broader budget framework and was not a standalone budget line for the spouse’s office.

National budget and spending reforms

The clarification comes as the government continues implementing reforms under the 2025/26 national budget, which totals about Ksh 4.69 trillion.

The budget prioritises sectors such as education, healthcare, agriculture, housing, ICT, and support for small businesses under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.

Earlier adjustments reduced planned spending by Ksh 177 billion after an initial proposal to cut the budget by Sh346 billion. The changes were aimed at protecting key programmes, including teacher recruitment, medical internship payments, fertiliser support, and farmer assistance.

President William Ruto has also introduced austerity measures to improve efficiency in government operations.

“These measures are part of our commitment to enhance efficiency and transparency in serving the people of Kenya,” the President said.