National Assembly opens public participation on Sh4.78 trillion budget

The National Assembly session. [PBU]

The National Assembly has launched public hearings on Kenya's Sh4.78 trillion budget  for 2026/27, taking the exercise to 16 counties in a three-day window starting Wednesday, May 13.

The hearings, announced by Clerk of the National Assembly Samuel Njoroge, are being conducted by the Budget and Appropriations Committee under Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi.

The exercise is scheduled to run from May 13 to May 15 across counties including Nairobi, Garissa, Kitui, Homa Bay, Nyandarua, Busia, Siaya, Bungoma, Kirinyaga, Taita Taveta, Tana River, Marsabit, Bomet, Kajiado, West Pokot and Meru.

"The Committee has resolved to hold public hearings on the estimates in the counties," the notice states.

The move comes under Articles 118 and 221 of the Constitution, which require citizens to be involved in legislative and budget-making processes.

 Members of the public and stakeholders have also been invited to submit written memoranda to the committee's office or by email by 5 p.m. on May 25.

The budget estimates were submitted to Parliament on April 30 and referred to the committee for review ahead of debate and approval by the House before the new financial year begins on July 1.

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) is projected to collect Sh2.985 trillion in tax revenue for the year starting July, up from Sh2.784 trillion, while the Treasury has raised its borrowing limit for the financial year by Sh104.1 billion to Sh1.170 trillion.

The Parliamentary Budget Office has warned that interest payments on Kenya's public debt will hit Sh1.2 trillion in 2026/27 alone, crowding out development spending.

The hearings arrive against a backdrop of two years of public anger over Finance Bills that triggered nationwide protests, particularly among youth who accused the government of over-taxing citizens while failing to address unemployment and wastage in public spending.

The proposed budget seeks to consolidate gains under the government's Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), with a focus on job creation, income growth and expanding economic opportunities.

Estimates of revenue and expenditure are available at Parliament Buildings and on the parliamentary website for public review ahead of the hearings.