Former Baringo senator Gideon Moi //Photo courtesy
Kenya African National Union (KANU) Party Leader Gideon Moi has launched a fierce attack on the 2025/26 national budget, accusing the Executive of betraying struggling Kenyans by prioritizing bloated government operations over economic recovery and development.
In a press statement on Friday 13, June 2025 shortly after the National Treasury CS John Mbadi tabled the budget in the National Assembly, Moi said the financial plan exposed the administration’s misplaced priorities at a time when citizens are grappling with joblessness, high living costs and shrinking incomes
He pointed to the allocation of Ksh. 3.1 trillion towards recurrent expenditure—covering salaries, debt repayments, and government operations—while development spending stands at only Ksh. 693 billion. Moi argued that such a skewed budget structure makes it impossible for the country to achieve growth or build sustainable wealth.
The former Baringo senator also raised alarm over the government’s plan to borrow Ksh. 635.5 billion from local financial institutions, warning that this would choke private businesses out of the credit market and shrink the country’s productive sector.
“This government is crowding out the private sector. It’s unacceptable for the state to compete with its own citizens for loans while businesses are collapsing and Kenyans are losing incomes,” Moi said.
He urged the government to demonstrate fiscal discipline, noting that with a projected Ksh. 3.3 trillion in total revenue—Ksh. 2.75 trillion of it from taxes—the country can operate a lean, fully taxpayer-funded budget if waste and borrowing are reined in.
The KANU boss also questioned the ballooning security budget, citing the Ksh. 257 billion allocated to national security agencies, including the largest ever allocation to the Kenya Defence Forces. He contrasted this with the continued underfunding of critical sectors like healthcare and agriculture.
“What kind of nation prioritizes tanks over food? Are we planning to secure a starving and ailing population?” he asked.
Moi criticized the Ksh. 150 million set aside for the DCI to procure and operate Optimus 3.0, a social media spyware system, accusing the government of attempting to monitor and suppress free expression online.
He said the move reflects a dangerous trend of digital authoritarianism and government paranoia aimed at silencing public dissent.
On devolution, hei criticized the Ksh. 405.1 billion allocated to county governments, calling it “too little for the heavy responsibilities” devolved units carry. He demanded a new, more empowering approach to devolution that supports grassroots development.
He also called for the urgent settlement of the country’s Ksh. 706 billion in pending bills, saying the delay is choking businesses and worsening the cash flow crisis across the country.
“The economy is bleeding. Businesses are collapsing. Kenyans are surviving on hope and debt,” he said.
In his closing remarks, Moi said the only viable way out of the current economic turmoil is to reimagine the budget around production and industrialization.
“We cannot tax our way into prosperity. We must become a nation that produces, not just consumes. It’s the only path to jobs, wealth, and dignity for our people,” he said.
