Austerity for thee, but not for me? State House overshoots its recurrent budget by billions in just seven months, raising serious questions about fiscal discipline at the very top.

While ordinary Kenyans are being asked to tighten their belts and endure higher taxes, the seat of power appears to be loosening its own. A scathing new report by the Controller of Budget reveals that State House has overshot its full-year recurrent budget by a staggering KES 2.7 billion in just the first seven months of the 2025/2026 financial year.

The data paints a picture of a presidency spending at a sprint while the economy jogs. The initial allocation, meant to last until June 2026, has been decimated by operational costs, hospitality, and travelThis "fiscal gluttony," as critics are calling it, undermines the government’s own narrative of cost-cutting and consolidation.

The Deficit Reality

This overspending is not happening in a vacuum. It contributes directly to the widening fiscal deficit, which forces the Treasury to borrow more, piling pressure on the already strained taxpayer. Treasury has repeatedly warned ministries to stick to quarterly ceilings, but when the Presidency itself is the chief violator, enforcement becomes a moral impossibility.

Economists warn that this behavior sets a dangerous precedent. "If the head of the fish is rotting, what do we expect from the tail?" asked one Nairobi-based analyst. With the supplementary budget likely to regularize this over-expenditure, the cycle of budgeting without discipline continues unabated.

• The Breach: KES 2.7 billion overshoot in 7 months.
• The Context: Occurs amidst national austerity measures.
• The Consequence: Increased domestic borrowing and fiscal deficit.

As the financial year enters its final stretch, the question remains: will Parliament hold the Executive to account, or will the rubber stamp simply come down again?

"Budgets are moral documents," the saying goes. If so, this report tells a story of misplaced priorities.