Kumbe State House has been splashing Ksh5.3 billion on presidential jetsetting while Kenyans are tightening their belts? MPs just woke up and called out the madness — and bana, the receipts are NOT adding up.

The Millions That Vanished Into Air Tickets

Picture this: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was handed Ksh1.8 billion for State Visits. Sawa, reasonable budget, right? Wrong. These guys had already blown through Ksh2.2 billion by mid-year — and they're not done. Not even close. The State House has instructed them to organize 11 MORE presidential trips before June 2026, which will cost another Ksh3.1 billion. That's Ksh5.3 billion total. Ndio, you read that right.

During Wednesday's budget review session, MPs from the Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee started asking the real questions: Why is the Foreign Affairs ministry footing bills for trips that originate from State House? Why is taxpayer money being diverted from actual development projects to book five-star hotels for the presidential entourage? Lagdera MP Abdikadir Mohamed basically said, "Sisi tunataka majibu" — and honestly, the excuses from officials were weaker than ugali without sukuma wiki.

When Diplomatic Visits Become a Money Pit

Here's the tea: Senior Chief Finance Officer James Aloyo admitted that once the State Visits budget gets exhausted — which happens every single year — they just raid money meant for OTHER government programs. Accommodation, transport, meals, movement logistics... it all comes from the Foreign Affairs budget. When it runs dry? Pending bills everywhere. This is not how you run a government, aki.

What's more infuriating is that Foreign Affairs officials claim they can't control how many visits happen or how extravagant they are. They're basically saying, "State House calls, we answer, and we pay." Meanwhile, roads aren't being built, hospitals don't have drugs, and schools are crumbling. Sijui when national priorities became less important than five-star diplomatic dinners.

The President's Passport Getting More Action Than Your M-Pesa

President William Ruto's aggressive diplomatic travel strategy has been under the spotlight lately, but this Ksh5.3 billion revelation adds serious fuel to the fire. Kenyans are already asking why billions were spent on the Africa Forward Summit while the cost of living keeps crushing ordinary Wananchi. Now we know: the government's travel itinerary is basically a luxury vacation that we're all involuntarily funding.

MPs are rightfully alarmed. This isn't just about poor budget management — it's about priorities. When you're cutting corners on education and healthcare but flying the president around the world like he's running for UN Secretary-General, something is seriously off-balance. The committee needs to dig deeper, because these pending bills aren't just accounting entries — they're money that should be fixing our country.

The Jukwaa Take: State House needs to stop treating the Foreign Affairs budget like a personal piggy bank while Kenyans count shillings just to eat.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke