Kithure Kindiki’s Office to Spend KSh 338 Million on Flights Despite Ruto’s Austerity Push

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki’s office is set to spend KSh 338.8 million on air travel in the financial year ending June 2026. Documents uploaded to the electronic government procurement (e-GP) portal reveal the plans. The allocation includes helicopters, commercial flights, and chartered aircraft. This comes even as President William Ruto has called for strict austerity to curb public spending.

The procurement papers show the DP’s office also set aside KSh 409.66 million for mail, storage, and other transport services. Of this, KSh 150.2 million is earmarked for helicopter travel, KSh 144 million for commercial flights, and KSh 44.6 million for chartered planes. Most of the travel is scheduled between October 2025 and March 2026.

The planned spending comes after the DP’s office spent KSh 3.2 billion by December 2025. This exceeds its annual budget of KSh 2.97 billion by KSh 219.3 million in just six months. In the 2024/2025 fiscal year, the office spent KSh 250.45 million on domestic and international travel. Flight costs alone are expected to increase spending by 33.5% this year.

The e-GP documents further show that the helicopter services budget of KSh 150 million will be shared roughly equally among women, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs). Additionally, four contracts worth KSh 44.6 million were awarded for chartered flights. Eleven contracts worth KSh 144 million were allocated for commercial flights. Recent figures show KSh 43.84 million was spent on travel during the three months ending September 2025. This accounted for 10.3% of the office’s total quarterly spending of KSh 425.89 million.

Critics question the allocation amid ongoing austerity measures. They argue it conflicts with government promises to limit public expenditure. Meanwhile, State House requested an additional KSh 4 billion for the fiscal year 2025/2026. Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi submitted the request to the National Assembly, citing heavy spending in the first quarter. Observers note the planned travel spending highlights tensions between government priorities and austerity efforts, raising questions about public accountability.