Jet-Set Junkies: Kenyan Politicians Spend More on Travel Than UN Officials – World Bank Report
A new World Bank report has revealed that Kenyan politicians are spending more on overseas travel than officials from the United Nations, with each leader receiving up to Ksh7,000 more in daily travel allowances.
According to the report, Kenya’s public sector wage bill is inefficient, and the high travel allowance rates are a major contributor. These allowances go well beyond international standards, causing unnecessary government spending that could be reduced with better rules.
When Kenyan leaders travel abroad—especially to countries like the United States—they receive an average daily allowance of Ksh70,800 ($513), the report shows.
In the 2022/23 financial year, the government spent Ksh19.6 billion on travel. Of that amount, Ksh6.2 billion went to Daily Subsistence Allowances (DSA) alone. These allowances, which were originally meant to support fair compensation for official travel, are now seen as a major area of waste.
The World Bank notes that if Kenya followed the allowance rates used by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the daily cost would drop to Ksh63,600 ($460), saving the government about Ksh7,200 ($53) per person per day. Even more savings could be made by following rates set by Kenyan government agencies (MDAs), which pay about Ksh45,000 ($326) per day—cutting costs by Ksh25,800 ($187) per official.
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Citing the Auditor General’s findings, the report adds that DSA payments are often misused. Government employees sometimes extend trips or attend unnecessary workshops just to collect more allowances, offering little value in return.
While the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) is working to cut down these costs, the World Bank urges more action. It recommends aligning per diem rates with global benchmarks like those of the UNDP and MDAs. Doing so could save Kenyan taxpayers up to Ksh2.26 billion each year.
The report also advises the government to reduce non-essential foreign trips by enforcing strict approval rules. This would help cut back on inflated travel expenses.
Additionally, the World Bank suggests setting fixed budget limits for travel, meetings, and conferences to prevent overspending. Other proposals include making better use of virtual meetings and video conferencing for official business.
In 2024 alone, President William Ruto made 22 international trips—highlighting just how often such travel occurs.
Jet-Set Junkies: Kenyan Politicians Spend More on Travel Than UN Officials – World Bank Report
