The government's 2026/2027 Ksh 4.82 trillion budget has faced a major setback after Busia senator Okiya Omtatah threatened to move to court to challenge some of its provisions.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

Speaking to the media on Monday, June 22, Omtatah alleged that the budget has been allocated billions of shillings solely for corruption.

According to the Busia senator, although government ministries and departments appear to have fully itemised their operational expenses, including salaries, allowances, rent, hospitality, fuel, maintenance, and office utilities, billions of additional funds are still being absorbed under a broad category labelled other operating expenses.

"I've gone through the budget, there's not a single expense that has not been allocated funds, and this includes salaries, allowances, rents of products, hospitality supplies and services, which have all been budgeted for. So each respective state department had a balance from its share of the sector working group budget ceiling," Omtatah stated.

📌 What You Need to Know

"Let us say the Ministry of Energy says they want Ksh10, that's what we had requested. Then the technocrats go and begin itemising under the Ksh10, then they reach Ksh6, and they find that the budget, the ministry is fully catered for. Instead of cutting out the remaining Ksh4, they say the Ksh4 become other operating expenses," he added.

The senator claims that this practice undermines constitutional requirements on public finance management, which he says demand that all expenditure items be clearly identified, itemised, and properly costed to ensure transparency and accountability.

Omtatah further cited examples involving key state agencies, including the Office of the President, the Ministry of Interior, and the National Treasury, arguing that the classification of expenditures in these areas raises questions about transparency in public spending.

The senator said that he is preparing to file a petition in court next week seeking to have the budget structure reviewed and invalidated, arguing that it may not comply with constitutional principles governing public finance.

"I will go to court because the budget does not come to the Senate. I will petition the court to stop the budget and also challenge the 2026 finance bill," Omtatah said.

The move comes days after the National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi read the 2026/27 budget , which he said is anchored on a growth-friendly fiscal consolidation strategy.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke