Various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) spent Sh4.33 billion on travelling between July and September.

A report from the Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o shows that this is an increase from last year’s expenditure during the same period as the MDAs spent Sh3.37 billion in the financial year 2022/2023.

The expenditure comprises domestic travel expenses of Sh3.16 billion and foreign travel costs of Sh1.17 billion.

 “In the first three months of FY 2023/24, travelling expenditure was Sh4.33 billion, compared to Sh3.37 billion recorded in FY 2022/23,” reads the report in part.

The increase in the travelling expenditure comes at a time when the government has suspended all non-essential travel for government officials to save on costs.

In a circular, Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, also announced restrictions on delegations accompanying high-ranking officials, including the President, Deputy President, First Lady, and Prime Cabinet Secretary during foreign trips.

He said foreign travel would only be permitted for engagements that are essential to fulfil State obligations, conduct critical State party engagements or serve statutory leadership or membership roles that impact the country’s position.

  “Non-essential travel that has been suspended includes benchmarking, study visits, training programmes, research activities, academic meetings, symposia, conferences, general participation meetings, showcase events, exhibitions, caucus and association meetings, and related events,” Koskei’s letter had stated.

In the latest report for the first three months of the financial year 2023/2024, Nyakang’o also warned that there were various challenges that hindered effective budget implementation including having hidden budgets and over budgeting.

This comes after it emerged that the total expenditure for the government for the first three months between July to September is Sh784.18 billion out of which Sh83.70 billion is on MDA’s development expenditure and Sh700.48 billion is on recurrent expenditure.

Reads the report: “These challenges included low revenue performance, ‘hidden’ budget deficits, low budget absorption, a spike in travel expenses and an increase in outstanding pending bills.”

 In the report, Nyakang’o raises concern that there was over budgeting of the salaries and allowances despite the two items for the holders of the Constitutional Offices being known and having been gazetted by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).

 The revelation of the report comes after in November Nyakang’o revealed how the National Treasury over-budgeted her salary by three times, and by extension salaries of other State officers, that may have cost the country over Sh1 billion taxpayer’s money.

In the 2022/2023 financial year, for instance, the Treasury originally budgeted her annual salary as Sh17.82 million, prompting her office to raise concerns as the figure was way above what she was taking home annually.

 Adds the report: “The National Treasury should ensure the budget is as realistic as possible. In the meantime, appropriate reallocation should be done through a supplementary budget to avoid over budgeting.”

On high spenders related to recurrent expenditure, the report shows that Teachers Service Commission (TSC) spent Sh58.13 billion in the first quarter, followed by Ministry of Defence Sh34.4 billion while State department for Higher Education and Research Sh33.36 billion came third.

 The others in the top ten categories include State Department for Basic Education Sh28.63 billion, National Police Service (NPS) Sh28.48billion, state department for Roads Sh18.11 billion, National Treasury Sh16.02 billion, state department for public service Sh9 billion, National Intelligence Service (NIS) Sh8.3 billion and State Department for Correctional Services Sh7.77 billion.