Kenyans invited to shape Sh4.78 trillion budget in county hearings

For the next three days, Kenyans across 16 counties will have a rare opportunity to directly influence how trillions of shillings in public money will be spent next year, after the National Assembly announced a countrywide schedule of public hearings on the proposed 2026/2027 Budget Estimates.

The hearings, organised by the National Assembly’s Budget and Appropriations Committee, are expected to give wananchi, business groups, professionals, civil society organisations and county leaders a platform to raise concerns, propose priorities and scrutinise government spending plans before the budget is approved.

The public participation exercise comes at a critical time for the country’s economy, with the government proposing a Sh4.78 trillion spending plan amid rising debt obligations, growing pressure on taxpayers and warnings that interest payments are consuming an increasingly large share of national revenue.

In a public notice published on May 7, Clerk of the National Assembly Samuel Njoroge said Kenyans can also submit written memoranda to the Office of the Clerk at Parliament Buildings or through the email cna@parliament.go.ke before 5pm on Monday, May 25.

According to the schedule released by Parliament, the hearings will begin on May 13 in Kitui, Garissa, Homa Bay, Nyandarua and Nairobi.

The sessions will take place at the Kitui Multi-Purpose Hall, Garissa Library, Orero Boys National School Hall, Ol Joro Orok CDF Hall and the Utawala Deputy County Commissioner’s Office respectively.

On May 14, the committee will hold parallel sittings in Busia, Siaya, Bungoma, Kirinyaga, Taita Taveta, Tana River, Marsabit, Bomet and Kajiado before concluding the exercise in West Pokot and Meru on May 15.

The hearings are part of the constitutional requirement for public participation in the budget-making process and are intended to allow citizens to directly engage Parliament before the estimates are debated and approved.

The proposed budget outlines how the government intends to raise and spend money in the financial year beginning July 1, 2026.

Under the estimates tabled in Parliament on April 30, the Kenya Revenue Authority is expected to collect Sh2.985 trillion in taxes, up from Sh2.784 trillion in the current financial year.

At the same time, the Treasury has proposed increasing borrowing by Sh104.1 billion to Sh1.170 trillion, signalling continued pressure on public finances even as political leaders face calls to avoid introducing painful taxes ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The Public Debt and Privatisation Committee has already warned that interest payments on Kenya’s public debt could hit Sh1.2 trillion in the 2026/2027 financial year alone, raising fears that debt servicing may consume funds meant for development projects and public services.

Education, security and health remain among the biggest beneficiaries in the proposed allocations, reflecting priorities outlined earlier in the 2026 Budget Policy Statement.

Parliament has encouraged individuals and organisations to either attend the hearings physically in their counties or send written submissions before the May 25 deadline.

Memoranda can include proposals on taxation, development priorities, public services, county needs, government spending cuts or concerns about borrowing levels.

Budget experts often argue that public participation remains one of the few opportunities citizens have to directly influence national spending decisions before they are finalised.

Once the hearings and submission process close, the Budget and Appropriations Committee, chaired by Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi, will review the views collected from the public alongside the proposed estimates submitted by the National Treasury.

The committee will then prepare a report for debate in the National Assembly, where MPs can propose amendments, reduce or increase allocations and approve spending ceilings for ministries, departments and agencies.

After approval of the estimates, Parliament will process the Appropriations Bill, which gives the government legal authority to withdraw and spend money from the Consolidated Fund.

The bill is then forwarded to President William Ruto for assent before implementation begins at the start of the new financial year on July 1.