State House's love for food, drinks soaks up Sh369M for three events

State House Comptroller Katoo ole Metito startled Parliament this week when he revealed that the President’s seat spends a mind-boggling Sh123 million on food and drinks during public holidays.

The revelation has re-ignited debate over excessive expenditure by the State House, at a time when Kenyans are burdened by financial hardships, and a significant population is affected by the drought crisis.

Appearing before the National Assembly’s Committee on Administration and Internal Security on Tuesday, Katoo submitted that State House and lodges spend upwards of Sh120 million for the three public holidays — Madaraka, Mashujaa, and Jamhuri Day celebrations — to feed and entertain more than 4,500 guests.

The Comptroller made his submissions when he appeared before the Gabriel Tongoyo-led committee to defend State House’s proposed Sh20 billion budget for the 2026/2027 financial year.

“It includes the cost of the tents to accommodate guests, seats, tables, and food, you know, and it all costs Sh123 million,” stated Katoo.

It means Sh369 million is spent by State House every year to cater for the three celebrations presided over by President Ruto. Among those invited are foreign dignitaries, invited Heads of State, and diplomats from neighbouring countries.

To put into context, the magnitude of funds being expended by the State House during such fetes, the cost of building a fully furnished but low-cost classroom — complete with desks and relevant equipment — is Sh800,000. For those built to higher standards, the cost may go up to Sh1.2 million.

That means that in a single celebration, the government can build up to 153 classrooms using the lunch money. In a year, the total amount of Sh369 million could be used to construct 461 classrooms across the country.

The state of some schools in many parts of the country is deplorable, with pupils sitting under trees or in mud-walled classrooms. In some cases, different grades of learners also share a classroom, while those in early childhood education learn either in open fields, braving the elements.

Prof XN Iraki, a business and management lecturer at the University of Nairobi, now questions the government’s priorities and unchecked spending.

“The expenditure is a blot on the image of the government, more so when the government is trying to raise more revenue. That money should have been used in critical areas like health and education,” he says.

The development also comes against the backdrop of reports that the State House has already used up its budgetary allocation of Sh7.7 billion for the current 2025/2026 financial year. According to a report by the National Treasury, it has already overshot its budget by Sh2.2 billion and has spent Sh10.4 billion.

President William Ruto has, in the recent past, been criticised for the use of State House to host political groupings and events, and this, pundits point out, has largely contributed to the depletion of the allocated kitty.

In the recent past, President Ruto has hosted delegations from the church, including as late as seven days ago, when he met leaders from the Methodist Church at State House, Nairobi, where he reaffirmed the government’s partnership with the church in serving Kenyans.

He has also been on the receiving end of criticism for using the State House to hold United Democratic Alliance (UDA) meetings. They include one on August 15, 2025, when President Ruto hosted Gusii political leaders at State House, Nairobi; another meeting on August 27, when he met Kiambu grassroots leaders; and a delegation of Ukambani leaders on October 10, 2025.

On June 5, President Ruto hosted political delegations from Vihiga, Kakamega, Busia, Bungoma, Trans Nzoia, and Siaya at State House, and a recent one on January 26, 2026, when he chaired a meeting of the UDA National Governing Council before hosting the inaugural UDA party aspirants’ forum on February 4.

A Nairobi lawyer has since moved to court seeking to block the President from holding political meetings at State House or State lodges.

Lempaa Suiyanka said the use of the State House for partisan political activities violates Article 10 of the Constitution, including national values of the rule of law, good governance, integrity, transparency, and accountability.

“These events were not state functions, ceremonial engagements or administrative government meetings, but political activities involving party officials, aspirants and elected leaders acting in their political capacities,” he said through a petition filed at the High Court. He also argued that there has been no public disclosure that UDA paid for, reimbursed, or otherwise lawfully defrayed the costs associated with the use of the State House for the partisan activities.

“No invoices, reimbursement schedules, appropriation approvals, or accounting statements have been made public to demonstrate compliance with Articles 201 and 226 of the Constitution or the Public Finance Management Act,” he said.

But in defence of the surging expenditure, Katoo explained that the “unique functions” undertaken by State House have seen it surpass what was allocated.

The catch, however, is that the provision is meant to aid the funding of unavoidable and unforeseen emergencies such as floods, national disasters, and drought, among others.

A look at the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) — which sets out the proposal for funding for various ministries and state departments — however, shows that State House’s appetite for funding remains high.

For the 2026/2027 financial year, State House is seeking a budget of Sh20 billion. This includes Sh16.4 billion for the coordination of State House functions under recurrent expenditure and a further Sh3.4 billion for development expenditure. It also seeks an additional Sh1.03 billion for the administration of statutory benefits for retired Presidents.