Kilifi leads as Turkana, Nairobi, Mandera, Narok among top in development spending

The Office of the Controller of Budget has revealed that County Governments spent a total of Ksh.470.74 billion in the 2024/25 Financial Year, representing an overall absorption rate of 78 per cent of the total Annual County Governments’ budget of Kshs.601.69 billion.

This, according to the report, represented a decrease from an absorption rate of 80 per cent reported in FY 2023/24, when the total expenditure was Ksh.446.76 billion against a budget of Ksh.562.75 billion.

Recurrent expenditure was Ksh.346.98 billion while development expenditure amounted to Ksh.123.76 billion.

A review of cumulative expenditures by economic classification revealed that Kshs.220.64 billion (47 per cent) was spent on Compensation to Employees, Ksh.126.34 billion (27 per cent) on Operations and Maintenance, and Kshs.123.76 billion (26 per cent) on Development Expenditures.

On development expenditure in the 2024/25 Financial Year, Kilifi County emerged as the biggest spender channelling Ksh.6.71 billion followed by Turkana (Ksh.4.29 billion), Nairobi (Ksh.4.09 billion), Mandera (Ksh.4.07 billion), Narok (Ksh.3.96 billion), Nakuru (Ksh.3.94 billion), and Kitui (Ksh.3.28 billion).

Turkana, Mandera, Narok, Nakuru, and Kitui maintained steady focus on infrastructure and social amenities while Nairobi’s allocation of more than Kshs.4 billion reflected effort to balance service-related recurrent costs with capital projects.

Counties that spent the least amount on development included Lamu (Ksh.1.02 billion), Nyamira (Ksh.1.05 billion), Elgeyo Marakwet (Ksh. 1.22 billion) and Isiolo (Ksh.1.29 billion).

During the reporting period, county governments collectively generated Ksh.67.30 billion from own-source revenue (OSR), representing 77 per cent of the annual target of Ksh.87.67 billion.

The report also shows Nairobi Governor Johnston 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 with Mombasa at Ksh.5.13 billion, Kiambu at Ksh.5.06 billion, Nakuru at Ksh.3.65 billion, and Kisumu at Ksh.2.46 billion.

Together, the six counties generated more than Kshs.34 billion — over half of the Kshs.67.30 billion collected nationwide.

Nairobi’s outstanding revenue growth was driven by collections from key hospitals through the Facility Improvement Fund (Ksh.1.398 billion), alongside ordinary revenue streams totalling Ksh.11.79 billion.