Kenya's government hospitality spending rose to Sh11.72 billion in the 2025/26 financial year, an increase of nearly Sh5.4 billion, according to the Eastleigh Voice. The surge comes despite President William Ruto's austerity measures and stated efforts to curb non-essential expenditure. The report highlights a contrast between the administration's cost-cutting pledges and the near-doubling of hospitality costs during the same period.

A new study reported by the Eastleigh Voice suggests that President William Ruto's bid for a second term could make Kenya's 2027 general election more expensive than previous polls. According to the report, the approved election budget fell from about Sh65 billion in 2017 to Sh47 billion in 2022, while actual spending dropped from Sh54 billion to Sh36 billion over the same period. The study raises questions about how a competitive incumbent re-election campaign may affect overall polling costs.

Three offices linked to President William Ruto spent 33 billion Kenyan shillings in the year ending June 2026, the highest amount ever spent by top government officials' offices, according to a new Treasury report cited by Taifa Leo. Spending by the offices of President Ruto, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has reached 100.23 billion shillings since Kenya Kwanza took power in 2022, surpassing the 89.9 billion spent under predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta over ten years.

Kenya's government has spent 1.17 billion shillings of taxpayers' money refurbishing presidential residences, according to the Eastleigh Voice. The expenditure comes at a time when the government faces pressure to cut wastage and redirect scarce public resources towards essential services. The spending has drawn scrutiny amid ongoing debate over fiscal discipline and the prioritisation of public funds.

State House spending in Kenya reached a record Ksh 18.55 billion in the 2025/2026 financial year, more than double its initial parliamentary allocation of Ksh 8.5 billion, according to a budget implementation report from the Controller of Budget. The report shows Ksh 6.73 billion was classified under "other expenses," a category typically reserved for funds outside standard vote classifications, despite President William Ruto's earlier pledge to eliminate confidential votes.

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused President William Ruto of orchestrating a "looting spree" through the newly proposed supplementary budget for 2025/26, alleging a diversion of Ksh 6.2 billion. Gachagua, a prominent critic of Ruto's government, claims the funds will be funneled through various government offices, including State House and the National Intelligence Service, disguised as maintenance and operations expenses.