NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 27 – Kenya’s governance system is on the spot after new findings from the Office of the Controller of Budget and the Office of the Auditor-General revealed widespread inefficiencies, weak spending priorities, and growing gaps between public funds and service delivery.The latest updates presented before Parliament in March 2026 paint a troubling picture.Billions of shillings are being spent, but many Kenyans are still not seeing real improvements in healthcare, infrastructure, and basic services.According to the Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o, counties continue to spend heavily on salaries and operations, leaving little for development.“We are seeing a worrying trend where a large portion of county budgets is going to recurrent expenditure instead of development projects that directly benefit citizens,” Nyakang’o told lawmakers.Her office flagged low absorption of development funds, even as counties struggle with incomplete projects and stalled services.At the same time, the Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu raised repeated concerns over how public money is being used.“Year after year, we continue to flag the same issues—weak procurement systems, unsupported expenditures, and lack of accountability,” Gathungu noted in her latest audit briefing.The audit reports show that counties are also struggling to raise their own revenue, hitting only about 72 percent of their targets. This has left many devolved units heavily dependent on national government transfers.In the 2023/2024 financial year, counties budgeted over Sh571 billion, but only received about Sh462 billion, creating major funding gaps.This has had a direct impact on service delivery, with some counties delaying projects or failing to complete them altogether.The reports also expose overspending in county assemblies, which exceeded legal limits by billions of shillings.Ironically, these assemblies are meant to act as watchdogs over county governments.The situation has been made worse by recent controversies, including audit queries around the Social Health Authority (SHA), President William Ruto’s flagship healthcare reform program.Auditors flagged irregular procurement, unclear contracts and spending outside approved budgets.