SAM’S SENSE: Call to eternal vigilance

It has been the season of dealing with budget implementation reports while at the same time processing expensive requests for more resources through supplementary budgets.

There has also been so much noise around new laws, new funds like the National Infrastructure Fund and the new Railway Development Levy Fund that has just been created to facilitate borrowing, to finance the development of Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) infrastructure.

We have seen it all, from heated exchanges at the Houses of Parliament where members move all manner of points of order to get at each other, as many use the gift of the gab to settle scores. It makes for good humour, but this is no laughing matter.

Amidst the drama, serious changes are taking root. We are getting used to the new normal. Over the last one month, the Controller of Budget has laid it bare how majority of our resources are being used to finance recurrent expenditure especially salaries and operational costs.

We have continuously reduced the amount of money that goes to development in the counties, to currently stand at only 17 per cent, by the end of the first six months of the financial year in December 2025.

At the national level, it is no better. Out of Ksh.2.18 trillion spent in the first six months of the year, only 12 per cent was spent on development. The rest financed employee benefits and operations. Some of the operations though could not even be named as they fall under a broad category called other expenses.

A whole Ksh.45 billion that could not be assigned a name. The presidency for instance spent a significant proportion even requiring a supplementary budget to raise the “other expenses” category to Ksh.5.9 billion for State House alone, which is a 310 per cent jump.

And when you ask, you are told that State House is at its most transparent season in the history of Kenya. Well, that may mean many things. Let’s leave it for now.

Instead, let’s take a moment to think and appreciate that at this moment, Parliament is considering a proposal from the national government to raise the current year’s budget by Ksh.287 billion. Yes.

The national government hopes to revise its current year’s ministerial budget from Ksh.2.54 trillion to Ksh.2.83 trillion. Please note this does not include the counties share or the debt-servicing component.

While at it, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) will be required to raise the extra revenue and should they not, then the government will borrow, whether locally or externally to finance the additional expenditure.

While at it, a Kenyan somewhere has given up on politics, saying, “I don’t care about politics.” Others are saying, “I no longer watch news”. Well, we are largely in a free country and can make the choices we like.

Remember though, whether you keep off the news or not, care for politics or not, you will foot the government bill. All political policies passed will affect you. All decisions made to the education sector, the health sector, the housing sector and should I say taxation, will mean that you will have to deal with it.

Please note that most of these consequential realities happen in the presence or with the aid of your beloved member of parliament. that man or woman you woke up so early to elect.

And so, what to do? That’s where your sense comes in because for now, that’s my sense tonight.