State House Nairobi spent Sh1.3 billion in January alone — an average of about Sh43 million per day — as new data reveals the President’s office has already exhausted its annual recurrent budget just seven months into the 2025/26 financial year.
Figures released by the National Treasury show that State House has emerged as one of the fastest-spending arms of government in the opening half of the financial year.
Budget Fully Depleted Before Year-End
Treasury records indicate that State House had an approved recurrent budget of Sh7.7 billion for the 2025/26 financial year. However, between July 1, 2025, and January 31, 2026, the office had already spent a total of Sh10.4 billion — overshooting its allocation by Sh2.7 billion with five months still remaining before the financial year ends on June 30.
The expenditure translates to an average daily spending of approximately Sh48.3 million over the seven-month period.
What Recurrent Spending Covers
According to Treasury explanations, recurrent expenditure includes day-to-day operational costs such as:
- Local and foreign travel
- Hospitality expenses
- Fuel and maintenance
- Administrative support
- Staff allowances
- Operational costs for the President’s official residence and satellite offices
The data further shows a sharp spike in January, when State House spent Sh1.3 billion in a single month.
Rising Scrutiny
The overspending is likely to intensify scrutiny over government expenditure at a time when the country faces fiscal pressures and calls for austerity in public spending.
With five months left before the close of the 2025/26 financial year, attention will now shift to how the budget shortfall will be managed and whether supplementary allocations will be sought to regularise the excess expenditure.
