Kitui, Kajiado and Kakamega are top spenders on domestic and foreign travel by county officers and MCAs, a new report has shown.
The report by the Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o revealed that 36 counties spent more than 500 million in domestic and foreign travels in the first quarter (between July and September 2025) of the current financial year ending June 30, 2026.
The report also revealed that preferred foreign destinations for the globetrotting county officers are the United States, the United Kingdom and the Middle East, while Tanzania tops in the continent.
Kitui County spent more than Sh106 million on domestic travel with the county assembly spending Sh38.57 million and Sh68.10 million by the county Executive. Kajiado used Sh89.9 million on domestic travel comprising Sh43.81 million spent by the County Assembly and Sh46.17 million by the county Executive. The county spent Sh3.49 million on foreign travel.
Kakamega ranked third with Sh75 million spent on domestic travel with the county assembly accounting for Sh70.45 million and Sh4.62 million by the Executive. Expenditure on foreign travel amounted to Sh12.18 million.
On the flipside, some eight counties did not engage in either domestic or foreign travels during the period under review. They are Baringo, Garissa, Nairobi, Narok, Nyandarua, Siaya, Trans Nzoia and Turkana.
The county governments budget implementation review report released on Monday did not have data for Kilifi, Elgeyo Marakwet and Wajir counties on domestic and foreign travel. Samburu County was one of the high spenders spending Sh77.24 million on domestic travel.
Nyeri spent Sh70.1 million on domestic travel with Sh43.45 million spent by the assembly and Sh26.7 million by the Executive. There was no foreign travel in the assembly during the period under review.
Kiambu only recorded domestic travel expenditure of Sh56.94 million with the assembly accounting for the lion’s share of Sh42.80 million and the Executive Sh14.14 million. Vihiga reported Sh45.7 million as expenditure on domestic travel and Sh10.1 million on foreign travel.
Busia County spent Sh47 million on domestic travel with the assembly accounting for Sh22.48 million and the Executive Sh24.61 million. Lamu spent Sh26.1 million on domestic travel and Sh16.8 million on foreign travel, when 29 assembly officers went to Tanzania for a workshop on gender mainstreaming and institutional effectiveness.
West Pokot County’s expenditure on domestic travel amounted to Sh42.04 million with the assembly blowing up Sh39.13 million and Sh2.92 million by the Executive. Nyamira reported Sh42.83 million on domestic travel while Bomet’s expenditure totaled Sh38.52 million. For Bomet, expenditure on foreign travel amounted to Sh17.88 million.
Homa Bay spent Sh36.8 million on domestic travel, all of which was incurred by the County Assembly. Taita Taveta spent Sh31.65 million on domestic travel while foreign travel amounted to Sh0.21 million.
Migori County spent Sh31.60 million on domestic travel while foreign travel amounted to Sh3.17 million when a team from the Executive went to the US for a national business league conference. Uasin Gishu County reported Sh31.4 million as domestic travel while Kisii spent Sh30.86 million on domestic travel.
For Kericho, expenditure on domestic travel amounted to Sh29.66 million, incurred by the County Assembly, while foreign travel expenditure was Sh3.26 million incurred when a team of three officers traveled to the United Kingdom between September 14 and 19 for a legislative summit.
Kwale County had Sh28 million as domestic travel expenditure with the County Executive accounting for Sh24 million, while Kisumu County reported an expenditure of Sh21.7 million on domestic travel and Sh3 million on foreign travel by county executive officers.
Nakuru County spent Sh16.95 million on domestic travel and Sh11.9 million on foreign travel. Isiolo reported Sh27.5 million as expenditure on domestic travel with the assembly accounting for Sh26.46 million. Expenditure on foreign travel was Sh5.30 million all by the County Assembly.
Laikipia spent Sh14.8 million on domestic travel by the County Assembly and Sh12.1 million on foreign travel.Makueni County spent Sh23 million on domestic travel, Tana River Sh24.9 million on domestic travel by the County Assembly, while Machakos reported spending Sh22.3 million on domestic travel, exclusively for the County Assembly.
Embu County had Sh22 million as domestic travel expenditure comprising Sh15.85 million spent by the County Assembly and Sh6.22 million by the County Executive.
Bungoma County reported spending Sh20 million on domestic travel and Sh0.39 million by the County Assembly when a team of five officers went to Uganda for the second Umukuuka 111 Royal Anniversary dinner between August 29 and 30, 2025 spending Sh388,759.
Counties that reported less than Sh20 million are Kirinyaga-Sh15.3 million on domestic travel, Murang’a Sh16.4 million, Nandi-Sh13.35 million on domestic travel and Sh5.99 million on foreign travel, and Tharaka Nithi spending Sh14.2 million on domestic travel. Mombasa spent Sh13.1 million on domestic travel and Sh1.95 million by the County Executive on foreign travel.
Least spenders wereMandera with Sh8.29 million, incurred by the County Executive on domestic travel, Meru with Sh2.55 million on domestic travel, and Marsabit Sh0.80 million on domestic travel.