Also known as: CoB
Constitutional office that monitors and reports on government spending, led by Margaret Nyakang'o as of 2026.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
The Standard
… Reports from the Controller of Budget and Treasury proposals highlight that State House operations have triggered dramatic budget escalations, with billions allocated toward hospitality, official travel, and operational expenses. …
Ruto's State House handouts must stopCapital News
… The CFPMI is our answer.” Nyegenye said the index relies on publicly available data from institutions including the Office of the Auditor-General, the Controller of Budget and the Commission on Revenue Allocation, making it an objective rather than opinion-based assessment. …
Embu tops Senate county fiscal ranking as Kisumu trails in new scorecardThe Standard
… The latest report presented by the Controller of Budget to Parliament offers a sobering reminder of the scale of the challenge. …
Beyond politics: Why Kenya must rebuild Its social contract before 2027The Standard
The Auditor General and Controller of Budget have raised concern over the escalating debt burden in the country, amid the Government’s growing reliance on borrowing to finance its budget. …
Auditor General, budget boss flag growing appetite for public debtCitizen Digital
WATCH LIVE: Senate Committee meets Controller of Budget and Auditor-General on public debt By Citizen Reporter July 28, 2026 12:31 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter Audio By Vocalize
Senate Committee meets Controller of Budget and Auditor-General on public debtCitizen Digital
… Nor is this a problem confined to the national government.For years, reports from the Controller of Budget and the Auditor-General have repeatedly highlighted payroll anomalies within county governments, including payments outside approved payroll systems, irregular recruitment, …
BONYO'S BONE: When wage bill eats wage billCitizen Digital
… PHOTO/FILE Audio By Vocalize By Mwangi Maina The latest report by the Controller of Budget on County Governments Budget Implementation shows the average pay for a Member of the County Assembly (MCA) sitting allowance in the County Assembly of Embu stands at Ksh.134,577. …
MCAs pocket hefty perks in Ksh.1 billion sitting allowance bonanzaThe Standard
… The County Budget Implementation Review Report by the Controller of Budget, Margaret Nyakang’o, reveals that counties spent Sh13.17 billion on domestic and foreign travel in the first nine months of the 2025/26 financial year — money that could have equipped hundreds of health fa …
Spending spree: Counties spend Sh13b on travel as major projects stall, bills mountThe Standard
… The County Budget Implementation Review Report by the Controller of Budget, Margaret Nyakang’o, reveals that counties spent Sh13.17 billion on domestic and foreign travel in the first nine months of the 2025/26 financial year — money that could have equipped hundreds of health fa …
Spending spree: Counties splash billions on travel, allowances and international meetingsThe Standard
… ys Wanga, account for the development funds and the status of the projects. “Failure by the County Executive to respond by publishing and making public the reports on these matters within seven days, we shall petition the Senate, EACC, Auditor General and the Controller of Budget …
MCAs want Governor Wanga to account for Sh1b ward projectsSh27.5 million allocated for Persons with Disabilities in Nakuru County's 2025/2026 budget was not disbursed, and PWDs have not been included in the 2026/2027 budget. The Department of Sports, Gender, and Inclusivity blames the finance department for the non-disbursement, while PWDs have issued a demonstration notice and petitioned the County Assembly.
10 September 2026 · The Standard →
Sh27.5 million allocated for Persons with Disabilities in Nakuru County's 2025/2026 budget was not disbursed, and PWDs have not been included in the 2026/2027 budget. The Department of Sports, Gender, and Inclusivity blames the finance department for the non-disbursement, while PWDs have issued a demonstration notice and petitioned the County Assembly.
10 September 2026 · The Standard →
The Government spent Sh30.69 billion on travel expenses in Financial Year 2025/26, up from Sh25.45 billion the previous year — an increase of Sh5.2 billion, according to a Controller of Budget report.
9 September 2026 · The Standard →
Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang'o has cited weak reporting mechanisms for development partner-funded projects under loan Appropriations-in-Aid (AIA) arrangements.
9 September 2026 · The Standard →
President William Ruto assented to four Bills including the Public Finance Management Amendment Bill, the Air Passenger Service Charge Amendment Bill, the Kenya National Council for Population and Development Bill, and the Trust Administration Bill. The Public Finance Management Amendment Bill is intended to strengthen accountability and oversight of government funds, create a standardized mechanism for grants to county governments, and introduce penalties for accounting officers who fail to implement assembly committee resolutions.
8 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →
President William Ruto has signed the Public Finance Management Amendment Bill 2025, which introduces penalties for public entities that fail to implement recommendations from the Auditor-General and Controller of Budget, and shortens the period for submitting financial statements.
8 September 2026 · The Standard →
State House spending reached Ksh.18.55 billion in the 2025/2026 financial year, more than double its original allocation of Ksh.8.5 billion, with Ksh.6.73 billion classified as "other expenses" that could not be classified under ordinary votes, raising questions about public fund use.
5 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Kenya's healthcare system faces a crisis as approximately 65 to 71 per cent of the budget goes toward servicing the Sh13 trillion public debt, leaving insufficient funds for essential services, experts warn during a sector forum in Nairobi.
2 September 2026 · The Standard →
An opinion piece contends that while President William Ruto's Katiba Day speech defended constitutionalism and called for an audit of the 2010 Constitution's implementation, the document's promise of transforming governance and safeguarding citizens' rights remains an unfinished national project sixteen years after adoption.
30 August 2026 · The Standard →
Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka has warned against the National Treasury's Treasury Single Account (TSA) proposal, arguing that consolidating all public funds into a single centralised system would undermine devolution and reverse gains made under the 2010 Constitution. The Cabinet approved the TSA in 2024.
27 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →
An opinion piece argues that despite billions of shillings channeled to county governments since devolution began in 2013, counties have struggled to deliver in key service areas like healthcare, agriculture, water, and market spaces.
8 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →
An opinion piece argues that while legally permissible, President William Ruto's practice of dispensing public resources to target groups through State House events has become suspect, particularly given the nation's economic challenges and the transformation of a public facility into what the author characterizes as a campaign tool funded by taxpayers.
7 August 2026 · The Standard →
The Senate's inaugural County Fiscal Performance Measurement Index ranked Embu as Kenya's best-performing county in the 2024/25 financial year with a score of 0.689, while Kisumu ranked last. The index, which measures counties across seven indicators including development expenditure and audit opinions, found that 35 counties attained a "C" grade, reflecting gradual progress in budget execution despite persistent fiscal management challenges in several counties.
6 August 2026 · Capital News →
An opinion piece argues that as Kenya approaches the 2027 General Election, the country must focus on restoring public confidence in government through stronger institutions, fiscal transparency, and ethical leadership, rather than electoral calculations. The Controller of Budget report shows Kenya's public debt has reached approximately KSh 12.8 trillion, highlighting fiscal constraints on policymakers.
30 July 2026 · The Standard →
The Auditor General and Controller of Budget have raised concerns over escalating debt burden as the Government increasingly relies on borrowing to finance its budget. The Auditor General has flagged emerging and hidden types of debt such as securitisation of revenues, contingent and pension liabilities not ordinarily included in public debt discussions.
30 July 2026 · The Standard →
A Senate Committee met with the Controller of Budget and the Auditor-General to discuss public debt.
28 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The Cabinet has directed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to probe payroll fraud across Kenya's public service. A sample audit of 12 out of 53 state departments revealed suspected payroll irregularities totaling Ksh.6.2 billion, highlighting systemic weaknesses in payroll management.
2 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
County Assemblies spent Ksh.1.12 billion on MCAs' sitting allowances against an approved budget of Ksh.2.02 billion over nine months, with Embu MCAs averaging Ksh.134,577 above the Salaries and Remuneration Commission limit of Ksh.124,800.
1 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
County governments spent Sh13.17 billion on domestic and foreign travel in the first nine months of the 2025/26 financial year, according to the Controller of Budget's County Budget Implementation Review Report, while development projects remain abandoned and hospitals face funding shortages.
29 June 2026 · The Standard →
A Controller of Budget report reveals county governments spent Sh13.17 billion on domestic and foreign travel in the first nine months of the 2025/26 financial year, while development projects remain abandoned and hospitals lack funding.
29 June 2026 · The Standard →
Eight MCAs in Homa Bay County have raised concerns that Sh1 billion in ward development projects allocated for the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 financial years were not implemented, with only Agriculture Department projects fully completed, raising questions about fund accountability and irregularities in project implementation.
28 June 2026 · The Standard →
MPs are seeking tighter control over the proposed Kenya Sovereign Wealth Fund, with the National Assembly's Finance and Planning Committee recommending that withdrawals require approval from both the Controller of Budget and Parliament to prevent unconstitutional withdrawals. The Fund will collect and invest government revenues from oil and mineral resources.
26 June 2026 · The Standard →
A High Court has rejected attempts by the Attorney General and other respondents to dismiss Senator Okiya Omtatah's public debt petition, allowing it to proceed to a full hearing on its merits. The court upheld the International Monetary Fund's claim of diplomatic immunity and struck it out of the petition.
25 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Safina Party leader Jimi Wanjigi has claimed Kenya's growing debt burden includes billions borrowed illegally outside the constitutional framework, and that cancelling such debts could save Sh2.8 trillion. According to Treasury figures, Kenya's public debt has risen to approximately Sh12.8 trillion, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of about 69.5%.
20 June 2026 · The Standard →
A three-judge court case seeking permission for law firms to provide unconditional legal services to government agencies has been postponed to September 29 because one judge is on leave. The delay comes after the Court of Appeal declined to suspend a high court order restricting government engagement of private lawyers without Attorney General justification and approval.
18 June 2026 · The Standard →
State House spent Sh11.6 billion in the first nine months of the 2025/26 financial year, exceeding its budgetary allocation of Sh8.58 billion for the full year, according to the Controller of Budget.
15 June 2026 · The Standard →
Safina Party leader Jimi Wanjigi has urged Kenyans to reject the Finance Bill 2026, criticizing the government's proposed budget as a "debt budget" that prioritizes debt servicing over public welfare and seeks to raise an additional Sh120 billion in taxes. Wanjigi argued that the solution to Kenya's economic challenges is not more taxes, as Kenyans are already overtaxed, and renewed claims that Kenya has accumulated illegal and odious debt.
15 June 2026 · The Standard →
The Motorists Association of Kenya has rejected NTSA plans to charge vehicle owners for converting physical logbooks into electronic logbooks, arguing that motorists have already paid for logbooks during registration and should not incur additional costs for the government's digitisation agenda.
12 June 2026 · Capital News →
President William Ruto has defended his frequent international travels, saying they are part of his official duties as Head of State and chief diplomat rather than leisure trips. Speaking at a town hall in Helsinki, Finland, Ruto emphasized that his foreign engagements aim to advance Kenya's diplomatic, trade, and investment interests.
12 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Government agencies accumulated Sh465.87 billion in unpaid bills by March 31, 2026, comprising Sh271.16 billion in recurrent expenditure and Sh194.71 billion for development projects. The Controller of Budget report notes the pending bills constrain service delivery and project implementation while exposing government to litigation and additional costs.
10 June 2026 · Capital News →
Government spending outside approved budget provisions reached Sh276.99 billion in the first nine months of the 2025/26 financial year, nearly sixfold higher than the Sh48.88 billion in the same period of 2024/25. The Controller of Budget warned that excessive reliance on Article 223—which allows emergency withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund before parliamentary approval—threatens budget credibility and fiscal discipline.
10 June 2026 · Capital News →