Parliament has invited Kenyans to provide input on a Ksh316.87 billion supplementary budget that significantly raises government spending beyond the original estimates approved last June.
The Budget and Appropriations Committee issued a notice on Friday, March 13, urging citizens and stakeholders to submit memoranda on Supplementary Estimates No. 1 for the 2025/2026 financial year by Thursday, March 19, at 5pm. Submissions can be hand-delivered to the Clerk’s Office at Parliament Buildings or emailed to cna@parliament.go.ke.
The mini-budget, presented by National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi on March 3, sits atop the Ksh4.2 trillion budget approved by Parliament in June 2025. Of the additional expenditure, Ksh185.8 billion has already been disbursed and now awaits post-facto parliamentary approval under Article 223 of the Constitution.
However, the supplementary estimates exceed the 10 per cent threshold allowed under Article 223(5), which caps emergency spending unless Parliament approves higher allocations under special circumstances.
The Ministry of Defence is the largest beneficiary, receiving an additional Ksh24.4 billion on top of its Ksh202.3 billion budget. Agriculture follows with Ksh19 billion for fertiliser subsidies and sugar reforms, plus Ksh2.92 billion for seed subsidies and crop diversification.
The State Department for Higher Education is allocated Ksh16.69 billion to clear arrears under the Universities Collective Bargaining Agreement and enhance Higher Education Loans Board funding for scholarships.
Other significant allocations include Ksh12.6 billion for drought and flood mitigation under the State Department for Special Programmes, Ksh8.31 billion for Covid-19 emergency health response, and Ksh5.62 billion for the primary healthcare fund.
The National Police Service receives Ksh7.5 billion to boost security operations, while health interns benefit from Ksh5.5 billion for personnel emolument shortfalls. Smaller allocations include Ksh4.4 billion for the Immigration Department’s outreach program, Ksh3.1 billion to cover shortfalls in national examinations, and Ksh2.97 billion for the NYOTA project supporting MSMEs. The State Department for Cooperatives received Ksh2 billion to stabilize raw milk prices.
CS Mbadi noted that the additional spending responds to emerging priorities and critical shortfalls since the original budget was approved. Parliament is now seeking input to ensure the supplementary estimates align with constitutional provisions and public interest.
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