State house,Nairobi ….Photo /courtesy
NAIROBI, Kenya
President William Ruto’s pledge to curb State House spending after last year’s Gen Z–led protests is under renewed scrutiny following official budget data showing billions of shillings in fresh executive expenditure only months after the austerity promises were made.
After the July 2024 demonstrations that forced the withdrawal of the proposed Finance Bill, Ruto announced cost-cutting measures aimed at restoring public trust.
He suspended the hiring of Chief Administrative Secretaries, reduced the number of presidential advisers, scrapped budget lines for the offices of the First Lady and spouses of senior officials, and pledged to abolish confidential budget allocations within select executive offices.
He also promised a comprehensive audit of Kenya’s public debt.
But the Controller of Budget’s latest report paints a different picture.
State House spent Sh4.5 billion between July and September, the first quarter of the 2025/26 financial year — a figure that has reignited debate over whether the austerity drive represented lasting reform or a temporary political retreat amid public anger.
The spending comes as Kenyans continue to face high taxes, persistent inflation and shrinking disposable incomes — pressures that fueled the youth-led protests and exposed resentment over perceived elite excess.
Kenya’s Public Finance Management Act requires public funds to be used transparently, responsibly and with clear value for money.
Yet transparency advocates say executive spending, particularly at State House, remains among the least scrutinized areas of government expenditure.
“The issue is not just legality, but legitimacy,” said a Nairobi-based public finance analyst. “When citizens are told there is no money for services, yet billions flow to the apex of power, trust erodes.”
Civil society groups also question whether confidential budgets were truly abolished or simply renamed, noting the absence of clear confirmation from oversight bodies.
For Gen Z activists, the figures risk reinforcing a sense of betrayal.
“Public pressure forced change last year,” said a youth governance advocate. “But it also showed how quickly old habits return once the streets go quiet.”
As Parliament prepares to debate future spending, the report offers a stark reminder: austerity is measured not by promises, but by numbers.
