- For instance, 19 executive officers Marrakesh Morocco for the Proactive Management Programme between June 10 to 24, 2024. The county spent Sh37.23 million.
- In yet another trip, eight county officers travelled to UAE for a conference Facilities and Training for six days. The spent Sh29.77 million.
Image: EZEKIEL AMING'A
Days after an expose on how national government officials are wasting billions on travel, a new report has revealed the same trend in counties.
A damning report released by Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o says governors and MCAs blew Sh17.60 billion on travel.
The expenditures, described by Nyakang’o in her expenditure report for the counties for the 2023-24 financial year as wasteful, comprise Sh15.28 billion on domestic travel and Sh2.32 billion on foreign travel.
“During the financial year, the Controller of Budget noted excessive expenditures by county governments on travel, which may be wasteful, amounted to Sh17.60 billion,” the report says.
The revelations come when counties face a cash crunch, with most devolved units yet to pay their workers for three months.
Turkana Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai and Johnson Sakaja (Nairobi) spent more than Sh1 billion each on travel.
Turkana spent Sh1.19 billion, with Sh943.44 million spent on domestic and 248.98 million on foreign travel.
Nairobi, on the other hand, splashed Sh1.18 billion comprising Sh861.57 million on domestic and Sh328.33 million on foreign trips.
Wavinya Ndeti’s Machakos county spent Sh801.44 million, Susan Kihika’s Nakuru splashed Sh647.02 million while Simon Kachapin’s West Pokot spent Sh601.76 million.
“Further, an analysis of foreign travel shows that county governments with the highest expenditure were Nairobi City at Sh328.33 million, Machakos at Sh148.68 million, Kitui at Sh128.4 million, Kericho at Sh105.8 million and Nakuru at Sh102.89 million,” the report says.
Other top spenders on travel are Kitui (Sh515.76 million), Narok (Sh510.08 million), Kwale (Sh499.95 million), Meru (Sh480.67 million), Kisumu (Sh472.54 million), Wajir (Sh417.19 million) and Tana River (Sh488.51 million).
Others are Kericho (Sh426.69 million), Kakamega (Sh418.64 million), Bungoma (Sh419.79 million), Kiambu (Sh479.39 million) and Kajiado (Sh4.3.44 million).
“County governments are advised to minimise travel expenditures by holding activities within the headquarters and allocating the funds to key development programmes,” Nyakang’o said in the report.
Just like their counterparts in the national government, the report shows how top officials in the county executives and assembly are travelling with large delegations, blowing billions of taxpayers’ money.
For instance, 19 officers from the Nairobi went to Morocco for 10 days and spent Sh37.23 million.
In yet another trip from the same county, eight officials traveled to UAE for the Facilities and Training conference for six days and spent Sh29.77 million.
City Hall also spent Sh10.92 million on 14 officials who traveled to Vancouver, Yale town, British Columbia and Canada to attend a seminar on leadership management and conflict resolution.
In Elgeyo Marakwet, 47 MCAs travelled to Arusha for a benchmarking trip on September 24 last year, spending Sh16.67 million.
Last week, Nyakang’o revealed how the national government officials spent Sh27.34 billion on domestic and foreign travel.
“The analysis indicates that large delegations were common. This indicates non-adherence to the circular’s emphasis on minimising delegation sizes and calls for more robust controls to enforce adherence,” the report says.
Kwale MCAs and staff travelled to Malaysia for a study tour in November last year, spending Sh4.83 million.
In Meru, 50 executive officials travelled to Arusha for protocol and events management training. They spent Sh10.67 million.
In Mombasa, seven executive officials were facilitated to the tune of Sh6.47 million to attend a seminar on Artificial Intelligence in Turkey for six days.
In Narok, the county spent Sh3.10 million to transport and accommodate 10 officers to Tanzania for the Mara Day celebration at Serengeti District.
In Nyeri, the county paid Governor Mutahi Kahiga and his assistant Sh517,500 for attending a pension summit and benchmarking tour in the Netherlands.
The county assembly of Nyeri spent Sh6.20 million to facilitate 13 officials to attend a training on capacity building in Arusha, Tanzania.
The Siaya county government spent Sh3.57 million on some five executive officers for promoting partnership and economic cooperation in Iran.
Governor James Orengo also led a delegation of six officers for an ‘exchange visit’ in Taber Canada between June 7 and 18.
In Bungoma, the county spent Sh4.80 million on five officers to attend a ‘high-level meeting’ in Israel between September 11 and 18 last year.
Last week, the Star exclusively reported how officials from the national government blew billions on travel, despite austerity measures by President William Ruto's administration.
The document shows Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's wife, Dorcas Rigathi, led a delegation of 18 officers to Israel for an official function described as "the OSPD programme" for six days in July last year. The trip cost taxpayers Sh13.70 million.
On September 11 last year, Gachagua traveled to Columbia to attend a forum on coffee reforms.
He led a delegation of 27 people, spending Sh25.58 million.
Gachagua also traveled to Brussels with 32 people for an official visit on October 21 last year, splurging Sh16.53 million.
The DP flew to Dubai with a delegation of 15 people for an official visit last year on July 23. They spent Sh6.84 million.
According to the latest county report, the counties that spent the least on development include Garissa (Sh133.75 million), Embu (Sh159.08 million), Elgeyo Marakwet (Sh163.66 million) and Tharaka Nithi (Sh174.58 million).
Others are Mandera (Sh162.94 million) and Kirinyaga (Sh179.47 million), Mombasa (Sh190.06 million), Laikipia (Sh184.97 million), Lamu (Sh198.77 million), Isiolo (Sh205.93 million) and Marsabit (Sh252.75 million).