The office Controller of Budget is seeking an additional Sh579.3 million in the upcoming 2025/2026 Financial Year to bridge a funding gap that has allegedly strained its operations.
Appearing before the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Budget, Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang'o said their budget ceiling for the FY2025/26 was set at Sh613 million, far below the Sh1.2 billion the office requires.
Nyakang'o warned that inadequate funding continues to hamper the office’s operations, including the critical task of monitoring development projects.
Decrying the low budget allocation, Nyakang'o highlighted several key areas that remain unfunded. These include foreign and domestic travel, capacity building, and publishing and printing.
For instance, Nyakango points out that the office had requested Sh15.3 million for foreign travel, Sh24 million for capacity building, and Sh50 million for system automation — all of which received zero allocation.
In the current Financial Year 2024/2025, the office has already exhausted its Sh12 million domestic travel allocation, with Nyakang'o expressing hope for additional funds from the Supplementary Budget to sustain operations.
The office has also depleted its Sh5.98 million training expenses allocation for FY2024/2025, having spent 61 percent of the amount between June 30 and December 31.