How State House blows billions in the name of hosting delegations

President William Ruto meets with Muslim leaders ata State House Nairobi. [PSCU]

Almost every day over the past several weeks, buses carrying different delegations, from teachers and village elders to private security officers, religious leaders, mechanics, artisans and county representatives, have streamed into President William Ruto's official residence.

And each member of those delegations has  left with cash amounts ranging between Sh3,000 to Sh10,000, meaning that since last year, over Sh1 billion could have been dished out in the form of handouts.

The Head of State himself confirmed he hosted 27,000 private security officers at State House. With reports indicating that the guards received Sh5,000 each, it translated to Sh135 million.

The previous day, he had hosted village elders from across the country, with each receiving Sh5,000. They were also accompanied by a big number of select Chiefs and their assistants.

Although 10,000 attended the House on the Hill, the President revealed that a total of 106,000 village elders across the country would receive facilitation fees regardless of whether they attended State House on that day. With each receiving Sh5,000 each, taxpayers' money coughed up Sh530 million.

“I know you don’t have your mobile phones here but when you switch them on, you will see a message,” Ruto said.

 Last week, the president hosted 5,000 faithful of the Friends’ Church Quakers, with everyone reportedly leaving with Sh10,000, totaling Sh50 million.

On Wednesday, 9,000 Muslim leaders pitched tents at the President's official residence. They too left with heavy pockets, everyone pocketing 10,000 shillings translating to Sh90 million.

Cumulatively, the delegations cobbled together a whopping Sh755 million in 4 days only.

In the recent past, about 10,000 teachers attended the highly publicized Walimu na Rais forum.

KUPPET National Chairman and Emuhaya MP Omboko Milemba later confirmed that teachers received Sh10,000 each as transport which translated to Sh100,000 million.

President William Ruto during a meeting with private security officers at State House on August 6, 2026. [PCS] 

The President has consistently defended the meetings, dismissing critics who argue that the State House has been reduced to a political mobilization center.

"Inviting you to the State House is not undervaluing it as critics say; it is basically upholding your dignity as humans and leaders in this nation," Ruto told the guards.

Supporters view the meetings as long-overdue recognition of groups that previous administrations largely ignored, urging that bringing ordinary citizens into the State House symbolically breaks barriers that historically separated government from the people.

Critics, however, see a different picture. They argue that recognition loses its meaning when accompanied by massive cash distributions while hospitals lack personnel, university staff remain unpaid and vulnerable children struggle to access school meals.

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua claims the State House facilitation program is becoming financially unsustainable.

According to Gachagua, the spending witnessed during the Ol Kalou by-election has encouraged communities across the country to expect similar financial support whenever they are invited to State House.

Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i has also criticised the trend, accusing President Ruto of focusing on political survival instead of governance. "Sasa kazi yake ni survival... badala ya kufanya kazi, biashara ni kuhonga watu," Matiang'i said during a recent address.

Kitutu Chache South MP Antony Kibagendi echoed similar sentiments, alleging that taxpayers' money was being used to influence political support through State House meetings. The expectation of receiving financial facilitation has now spread beyond those already invited.

As the President continues to splashe money on Kenyans, the latest data from the National Treasury shows a worrying trend showing the country continues to deepen the public debt crisis.

The data reveals that the seven new foreign loans are for housing, education, climate action, and budget support. Taken from January 1 to April 30, they translate into Sh104.04 billion per month, Sh3.47 billion per day, and Sh144.5 million per hour.

In just four months, the National Treasury data shows that the government has borrowed Sh416 billion in just four months, despite President Ruto's earlier pledge to curb this.

The public debt now stands at 70 per cent of Gross Domestic Product, well above the 55 per cent threshold. The huge debt is piling pressure on repayment amid depressed revenue collection and reduced donor support.

“70 per cent of government revenue goes directly to paying loan obligations, leaving only 29 per cent for public services, operations, and development,’ Gathogo noted.

In 2024, the Office of the Auditor General revealed what could be a possible squander of commercial loans Kenya received in the past decade.

It issued a special audit report on loans Kenya took between 2010 and 2021, showing that the country received Sh1.136 trillion in the consolidated funds accounts. However, the accountability of the funds is in question.

The special audit established that a total of 26 loans were contracted before the respective legal opinions of the Attorney General (AG) were received, contrary to Section 5.4.2.1 of the Debt and Borrowing Policy, 2020.

Of these loans, legal opinions for 25 loans were signed later, while the remaining loan was still outstanding as at the time of the audit.

"In the absence of the legal opinion ahead of contracting of the loans, the country was put at risk of entering into agreements whose terms may be unfavorable," the report read.

Political analyst Dismus Mokua said Ruto’s statute allows him to use taxpayers' money to conduct campaigns due to his position as both the UDA party leader and being the President

“For President right now it's very difficult to create a wall between uh the Head of State Head of Government and a UDA presidential candidate it's mixed up but for him he gets the benefits that he can literally host a meeting at State House any state in a good part the cost of that meeting the logistics will be borne by the taxpayer. Those are some of the benefits of being an incumbent and taking advantage of taxpayer resources to run your campaign on account of the office you're holding,” he said

As the government focuses on political mobilization as opposed to funding key areas such as health, education and infrastructure, protests by service providers have become the order of the day as they seek salary increases to march the high cost of living.

Across more than 20 counties, patients continue to bear the brunt of a nationwide nurses' strike.

Public hospitals in Embu, Kitui, Samburu, Wajir, Machakos, Kajiado, Kisii, Makueni, Kisumu, Bungoma, Homa Bay, Kwale, Mombasa among other counties have experienced severe disruption as nurses’ demand  promotions, better remuneration and improved staffing.

The Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives says years of negotiations have failed to produce results, forcing healthcare workers to withdraw their labour. At the same time, university lecturers and non-teaching staff are warning of fresh industrial action.

The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) accuse the government of failing to honour both the 2017–2021 and 2021–2025 collective bargaining agreements.

The unions insist billions of shillings in salary arrears remain unpaid, leaving university employees under increasing financial pressure.

Education faces another challenge, with universities and students facing huge financing difficulties. Funding shortages have severely affected school feeding programs, with reports indicating that more than 46,000 learners in vulnerable and marginalised regions risk missing daily meals because of delayed government financing.

Education stakeholders warn that prolonged interruptions could increase absenteeism and school dropout rates among children from poor households.