The government has been on a traveling spree! Within just nine months, the government burnt Sh. 18.18 billion on local and foreign travel. This has been exposed by a report from the Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o.
According to the report, domestic traveling consumed Sh. 12.33 billion within the nine months under review while foreign traveling blew Sh. 5.85.
The report identified the big spenders on local and foreign travel within the government as the National Assembly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Senate, the Judiciary, and the State House.
According to the report by the Controller of Budget, the State Department for Foreign Affairs used Sh. 1.91 billion. Out of this, Sh. 193.74 million went to local travel while Sh. 1.712 billion went towards foreign travels. The Senate used Sh. 1.7 billion, out of which Sh. 1.07 billion was spent on local travel and Sh. 592.29 million was blown on foreign travels.
The Judiciary on the other hand burnt Sh. 1.2 billion. Out of this, Sh. 166.06 million was spent on domestic traveling and Sh. 1.03 billion was spent on foreign traveling.
The Office of the Deputy President spent Sh. 368.52 million that included Sh. 247.48 on domestic travel and Sh. 121.04 on foreign travel. The State House spent Sh. 898.02 million, out of which Sh. 750.36 million was spent on domestic traveling and Sh. 147.66 million on foreign traveling.
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The Controller of Budget however stated that these figures are most likely way higher since 35 national government ministries, departments and agencies did not provide the information that was requested by the office on their foreign travel expenses.
Among those who withheld this information were the State House, the National Treasury, the Office of the President, the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary, Office of the Deputy President, and the National Assembly.
The State Department for Internal Security and National Administration spent Sh. 655.08 million with Sh. 650.83 million on local travel and Sh. 4.25 million on foreign travel. The Parliamentary Joint Services (PJS) spent Sh. 594.84 million. Sh. 262.14 million was for local travel and Sh. 332.70 million was for foreign travel.
The Office of the Auditor-General spent Sh. 613.99 million of which Sh. 551.91 million was on local travel and Sh. 62.08 million on foreign travel.
State Department for Diaspora Affairs blew Sh. 355.21 million, of which Sh. 32.68 million was for local travel and Sh. 322.53 million was for foreign travel.