Fury as MPs Shoot Down Mudavadi’s Ksh 280M Office Upgrade

Members of Parliament have pushed back against a proposal by Musalia Mudavadi to spend Ksh 280 million on renovating his office, citing concerns over government spending amid growing calls for austerity.

The proposed upgrade, tabled under Supplementary Estimates I for the 2025/26 financial year, faced resistance from lawmakers who questioned both its timing and necessity.

The National Assembly Committee on Budget and Appropriations (BAC) had already recommended that no additional funds be allocated to the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary (OPCS) in the 2026 Budget Policy Statement (BPS).

In its review, the committee blocked the refurbishment request, pointing to the need for fiscal discipline.

MPs also questioned the logic of investing heavily in a leased facility rather than a permanent government building.

Security Concerns Cited by OPCS

Appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Administration and Internal Security, Principal Administrative Secretary Joash Dache defended the request, citing recommendations from the National Intelligence Service (NIS).

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He told the committee that the current offices at Kenya Railways headquarters are in a deteriorating state.

“We inherited a condemned building. If you are a landlord or a landlady, you are supposed to ensure that your facility is habitable,” Dache said.

He added that the Ksh 280 million would also go toward enhancing security at the premises, as advised in the NIS report.

However, he failed to present the report to the committee, raising further concerns among MPs.

MPs Question Supplementary Budget Use

Lawmakers criticized the OPCS for attempting to push the expenditure through a supplementary budget rather than the main budget process.

Peter Kaluma argued that the move was improper and would significantly inflate the office’s budget.

“This is not something that qualifies for supplementary budgeting. It should have been planned for in the main estimates,” Kaluma stated.

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Dido Rasso also challenged the classification of the expenditure as urgent.

“This does not meet the threshold of emergency expenditure under the supplementary budget,” he said.

Concerns Over Rising Expenditure

MPs further noted that approving the request would increase the OPCS budget by more than 70%, raising eyebrows at a time when the government is urging restraint in public spending.

The office has already spent Ksh 363 million on renovations since 2023, when Mudavadi assumed office.

Future Budget Plans Under Scrutiny

For the 2026/27 financial year, the OPCS has proposed a Ksh 827 million allocation for recurrent expenditures, with no provision for capital development.

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