Media houses miss out on millions as Ruto signs budget

The National Treasury had proposed the allocation in Supplementary Estimates No.1 for the 2025/26 financial year under the State Department for Broadcasting and Digital Economy. [File, Standard]

Media houses have suffered a blow after the rejection of hundreds of millions of shillings meant to clear pending government bills, following President William Ruto’s assent to the Supplementary Appropriations Bill, 2026.

The National Treasury had proposed the allocation in Supplementary Estimates No.1 for the 2025/26 financial year under the State Department for Broadcasting and Digital Economy.

But the National Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee slashed the allocation despite a presentation by Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Digital Economy Stephen Isaboke.

“Sh833.3 million of the budget will go towards settling debt owed to eight media houses for the circulation of the government-owned MyGov advertising publication, which runs every Tuesday in eight outlets,” said Isaboke.

The pending bills include The Standard Group (Sh228.5 million), Nation Media Group (Sh410.6 million), Media Max Limited (Sh191.8 million), Kenya Yearbook Editorial (Sh19.52 million) and Star Publications Limited (Sh941,129).

Others are Baite Television Network (Sh1.48 million), North Eastern Media (Star FM – Sh580,000) and Le Deux Republic – Sema FM (Sh255,000).

The Bill, now an Act, raises total expenditure by Sh393 billion, from Sh4.3 trillion to Sh4.69 trillion, as the government moves to address urgent priorities, including security operations, disaster response and key infrastructure.

President Ruto said the security sector received the largest share at Sh60 billion. Of this, the State Department for Internal Security was allocated Sh11.9 billion, including Sh3.9 billion for operations, Sh2 billion for the National Integrated Security Command and Control System, Sh2 billion for compensation of protest victims and Sh4 billion for police modernisation.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission was allocated Sh2.9 billion to clear pending legal bills, in a move aimed at strengthening institutional confidence.

The education sector also received a substantial boost. The Teachers Service Commission was allocated Sh24.2 billion to cover salary shortfalls and teachers’ health insurance.

Higher education funding includes Sh4.1 billion for the Higher Education Loans Board, bringing its total to Sh45.6 billion, and Sh3.88 billion to clear university salary arrears from the 2017–2021 collective bargaining agreement.

Additional allocations include Sh6 billion to the State Department for Higher Education for Moi University and Kabarnet University, Sh1.5 billion for the University Funding Board and Sh2.6 billion for the Kenya–China TVET Project Phase III.

The President said the Affordable Housing Programme has been allocated Sh25 billion, while the agriculture sector received nearly Sh18 billion, including Sh10 billion for the subsidised fertiliser programme.