Kindiki’s Office Requests Additional Ksh 450 Million for Helicopters and Hospitality

The Office of Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, through the Principal Administrative Secretary Moses Mbaruku, has requested an additional Ksh 450 million in the 2025/26 supplementary budget, raising fresh concerns over government spending priorities.

The new request comes on top of an already approved Ksh 523 million allocation for hospitality and helicopter hiring, bringing the total to Ksh 873 million.

Hospitality expenses include catering and entertainment.

If approved, the total allocation to the DP’s office will rise to Ksh 4.9 billion for the current financial year representing a 64% increase from the Ksh 2.97 billion approved in June 2025.

MPs Raise Alarm Over Budget Process

The request has sparked criticism in the National Assembly, with lawmakers questioning both the scale of spending and the process used to secure funds.

Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma warned that the move undermines Parliament’s authority.

“It’s like they are just reporting to us and not seeking our concurrence. Using supplementary budget to address matters that can be taken care of in the main budget is not right.”

Loima MP Protus Akuja echoed similar concerns, citing increased reliance on constitutional provisions to access funds.

“There seems to be a trend within government to rush to Article 223 of the Constitution. They use the allocated money, and once it is finished, they use the back door to get what had been proposed.”

Kisumu West MP Rosa Buyu questioned the justification for large hospitality expenditures, especially amid austerity calls by President William Ruto.

“The amount of money spent on hospitality is huge. What justifies this huge allocation?”Buyu asked.

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Millions Already Spent on Helicopter Leasing

Documents presented to Parliament by Principal Administrative Secretary Moses Mbaruku reveal that the DP’s office has already spent Ksh 100 million on leasing helicopters.

In addition, Ksh 600 million has been used for other operational expenses, while Ksh 950 million has already been withdrawn and spent from the Consolidated Fund Services (CFS) under Article 223 of the Constitution.

Mr Mbaruku defended the spending, linking it to the DP’s nationwide oversight role.

“In his delegated role, the DP is required to lead in monitoring and supervision missions to assess the implementation of key government priorities and programmes and ensure accountability as well as citizen expectations are met,” he said.

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Justification for Increased Budget

According to Mbaruku, the additional funds are necessary to facilitate the Deputy President’s expanding responsibilities, including coordinating government programmes and leading inter-ministerial initiatives.

“The Deputy President is required to, among other roles, lead Cabinet sub-committee, high-level inter-ministerial or multisectoral agencies by linking up policy development with implementation to ensure effective coordination of priorities or initiatives that cut across several ministries,” he said.

He also emphasized the importance of public engagement in fulfilling the administration’s agenda.

“The DP is also involved in citizen engagements as part of President William Ruto’s vision of uniting the nation around national priorities. The DP, therefore, is required to facilitate these engagements.”

On helicopter hiring, Mr. Mbaruku cited logistical challenges.

“The DP traverses various parts of the country to supervise implementation of government policies, programmes and projects,” he said.

“The unreliable scheduling and reliance on other government agencies for air transport led to significant disruptions.”

Budget Cuts Hit Key Development Programmes

Even as the DP’s office seeks more funding, the government has implemented significant budget cuts in key sectors.

Among the affected programmes are:

• Ksh 4.5 billion cut from the Kenya Primary Education Equity Learning Programme.
• Ksh 2.8 billion reduction in the Konza Data Centre and Smart Facilities Project.
• Ksh 1 billion cut from the Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration Plan.

The supplementary budget request is currently under review in the National Assembly, where it is expected to face further assessment.

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Members of Parliament in a Past Parliamentary Session in Kenya. PHOTO/ Parliament of Kenya