The national government has long been criticised for wasteful spending. But the same rot has been devolved to the county administrations.
Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o last week detailed extravagant travel expenses with governors and members of county assemblies squandering billions on unnecessary trips.
Counties operate on limited budgets, face pressing obligations and cannot afford to follow this wasteful path.
According to Nyakang’o's report, county governments blew a staggering Sh17.60 billion on travel in the 2023-24 financial year—Sh15.28 billion on domestic trips and Sh2.32 billion on foreign travel.
Nairobi, Turkana, and Machakos topped the list of spenders, with each splurging over Sh1 billion.
Such expenditures come at a time when many counties are struggling to pay their workers. This financial mismanagement is a betrayal of the trust placed in county leaders to prioritise the welfare of citizens.
The core mandate of county governments is to deliver services to the people. From healthcare to infrastructure development, counties are meant to address the basic needs of their residents.
Frugality should not be a virtue reserved for the national government alone. County governments must exercise the same fiscal restraint.
The devolution of government was meant to bring services closer to the people, not to provide a new avenue for wastage.
“I believe that life is a process of continuous change and a constant struggle to make that change one for the better.”
Lee Kuan Yew
The founding father of modern Singapore and the first Prime Minister of Singapore was born on September 16, 1923.
