Debt and Wages Consume Nearly 70% of Kenya’s Revenue, Sparing Little for Citizens’ Needs, New Report Warns
NAIROBI - Kenya's fiscal landscape is under severe strain as debt repayments and public sector wages gobble up 68 percent of the country's ordinary revenue, according to a comprehensive new analysis released yesterday. This alarming trend, detailed in the Kenya Human Rights Commission's report titled "The Economics of Repression," signals a deepening crisis that prioritizes creditors and bureaucracy over the basic needs of ordinary Kenyans, leaving essential services starved and vulnerable communities in dire straits.
Launched on December 4, 2025, the report paints a stark picture of how national spending patterns from the 2020/21 fiscal year through 2024/25 have eroded the government's ability to deliver on constitutional promises. At the heart of the problem lies the public wage bill, which now devours 41.8 percent of ordinary revenue. While this marks a slight improvement from the 54.8 percent peak in 2020/21, it still flagrantly exceeds the 35 percent legal ceiling set to safeguard funds for development. Compounding this is the ballooning cost of debt servicing, with interest payments on public debt surging from 18 percent to 25 percent of total government spending over just four years. Together, these two burdens leave a mere sliver – less than 10 percent in some cases – for critical areas like health, education, social protection, and infrastructure.
The consequences ripple far beyond balance sheets, striking at the core of daily life for millions of Kenyans. Families across the country, particularly in urban hubs like Nairobi, are bearing the brunt of these misplaced priorities. In the health sector, real expenditure in the capital has plummeted from Sh8 billion to Sh7 billion, resulting in hospitals plagued by medicine shortages and patients routinely turned away due to insurance glitches. Pending bills for medical supplies have spiraled to 300 times the county's total annual outlay, forcing pharmacies to run dry on essential drugs and leaving the sick without recourse.
Social safety nets, meant to shield the most vulnerable, are fraying at the edges. Funding for older persons has dipped from Sh18 billion to Sh15 billion, while support for orphans has shrunk from Sh7 billion to Sh5 billion. Persons with disabilities endure multi-year delays in accessing promised aid, trapping them in cycles of poverty and exclusion. Youth, already grappling with high unemployment, report widespread job losses as small businesses buckle under the weight of heavy taxation and economic pressures. Single mothers in informal settlements describe a profound sense of abandonment, with rising living costs pushing families to the brink. Even housing initiatives, designed to provide stability, sideline those in greatest need, perpetuating inequality.
Education, a cornerstone of national progress, fares no better. Overcrowded classrooms, chronic delays in capitation funds from the national government, and schools sending children home for unpaid fees have turned learning into a luxury rather than a right. These disruptions not only hinder academic outcomes but also deepen social divides, affecting children from marginalized communities the hardest.
The report's findings stem from a rigorous examination of national budget trends over the past five years, coupled with on-the-ground engagements with Nairobi residents. Researchers zeroed in on how fiscal decisions impact historically disadvantaged groups, including youth, persons with disabilities, minorities, children, older persons, and those in informal economies. What emerged was a clear pattern of constitutional violations: development spending has dipped below 25 percent of the budget, well short of the 30 percent minimum mandated by the constitution. Borrowing practices, too, flout key provisions under Articles 202, 203, and 223, which demand alignment with public priorities and robust parliamentary scrutiny.
At the root of this fiscal imbalance is Kenya's runaway public debt, now exceeding Sh12 trillion. The report attributes much of the escalation to unchecked authority granted to the Treasury Cabinet Secretary through 2014 amendments to the Public Finance Management Act. These changes have enabled borrowing driven by political agendas and election-tied projects, often with minimal oversight. Corruption and wasteful spending further erode resources, punishing citizens while shielding entrenched interests under the current Kenya Kwanza administration.
The human toll is visceral. Residents shared harrowing accounts of hospitals devoid of medicine, schooling upended by funding shortfalls, and businesses collapsing under tax burdens. Youth recounted the sting of layoffs, while families in informal settlements voiced feelings of total neglect amid soaring costs. Persons with disabilities highlighted agonizing waits for support that never arrives, underscoring a system that has lost sight of its people.
In response, the Kenya Human Rights Commission urges sweeping reforms to realign fiscal policy with the constitution's vision for economic and social rights, as well as the equitable resource goals of Vision 2030. Among the key calls are targeted wage bill adjustments to favor essential services and vulnerable populations, stricter controls on corruption, and sustainable debt management strategies that prioritize citizens over creditors. Lawmakers must reclaim oversight on borrowing, ensuring decisions serve development rather than political expediency.
As Kenya navigates this fiscal tightrope, the report serves as a clarion call: without urgent action, the dream of inclusive growth will remain just that. Citizens, already struggling, deserve a budget that invests in their futures, not one that locks them out. The path forward demands accountability, reform, and a recommitment to the principles that bind the nation together.