The Office of the Spouse of the Deputy President, led by Joyce Njagi, spent KSh44.52 million in the first six months of the 2025/26 financial year despite having no approved budget allocation from the National Assembly of Kenya, according to a report by the Office of the Controller of Budget.
In the National Government Budget Implementation Review Report covering July 1 to December 31, 2025, Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o raised concerns over the expenditure, noting that the office is not legally established under the Constitution of Kenya to utilise public funds.
Funds Linked to Deputy President’s Office
The report indicates that the operations of the office may have been facilitated through the Office of the Deputy President, which received KSh3.07 billion in the current financial year.
However, the Controller of Budget observed that supporting the deputy president’s spouse’s office is not among the formal mandates of the Office of the Deputy President.
Austerity Measures Introduced in 2024
The issue arises after William Ruto, the President of Kenya, directed in 2024 that budgets for the offices of the First Lady, the Deputy President’s spouse, and the Prime Cabinet Secretary’s spouse be scrapped as part of government austerity measures.
The directive followed nationwide protests against the Finance Bill 2024, which triggered public pressure for reduced government spending.
Billions Previously Allocated
Before the directive, approximately KSh1.3 billion had been set aside for the three offices, including KSh557.6 million earmarked for the Office of the Spouse of the Deputy President.
However, in the current financial year, no funding was officially allocated for the office, raising questions about how the reported KSh44.52 million expenditure was facilitated.
