Controller of Budget exposes over 5,000 unauthorised bank accounts run by counties

The Controller of Budget has raised the red flag over thousands of unauthorised commercial bank accounts run by county governments.

In her full-year report for the 2024-2025 financial year, Margaret Nyakango warns that counties are required to seek approval and register such accounts with her office before opening them.

So far, over 5,000 unauthorised accounts have been flagged, posing a serious risk of financial mismanagement.

According to Nyakango, as of June 30, 2025, county governments were running 5,476 accounts with commercial banks. She noted that county treasuries have failed to submit authorisation letters for these accounts to her office, as required by the Public Finance Management Act.

The report reveals Homa Bay County is operating 558 bank accounts, Kitui County 350, while Bungoma and Nakuru each have more than 300 accounts, some of which the Controller of Budget says are unauthorised.

Baringo, Kwale, Machakos and Embu counties each operate more than 200 bank accounts, a figure now raising serious questions.

On the other end, Nandi County has only 10 such accounts, Kisii 14, Siaya 15, Tharaka Nithi 16, and Murang’a 20 — all listed in the Controller of Budget’s report.

The Controller of Budget warns that the proliferation of multiple commercial bank accounts by counties is leaving public funds vulnerable to theft and mismanagement.

The 2024-2025 full-year report lists Governors Stephen Sang of Nandi, George Natembeya of Trans Nzoia, Patrick ole Ntutu of Narok, and Isaac Mutuma of Meru as having the highest absorption of development funds.

Kisii Governor Simba Arati topped the own-source revenue collection targets, alongside Tana River, Wajir, and Kirinyaga.

The report also shows Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja leading with Ksh.13.1 billion collected, a 66% attainment of the target, followed by Narok’s Patrick ole Ntutu with Ksh.5.7 billion as Mombasa and Kiambu round off the top collectors.

Meanwhile, Kajiado, Machakos, Isiolo, and Taita Taveta underperformed in their own-source revenue collection.