Budget Talk Global (BTG)

🧵THREAD: Where is our money going? Let’s unpack the Kshs. 2.14 Trillion under #ConsolidatedFundServices (CFS) in Kenya’s 2025/26 budget. 💡 Out of a total Kshs. 4.3 Trillion national budget, nearly 50% (precisely 49.8%) is going to CFS! Why should YOU care? #BTG #BudgetTalkGlobal #KenyaBudget #FiscalJustice #Tech4Budgets #PFMKE #KeBudget2025 #BudgetEstimates2025

Thanks to our partners @GIESCR, @TISAKenya @BudgeTalkGlobal, @ipf_global, @HakiKNCHR & @thekhrc for their collaboration in making this year's forum at the 2026 @thePDFestival a great success; and to @CMDKenya for giving us the platform to engage & share our collective voices.

Meet today's Panelists 1. Tom Ogada from @TISAKenya 2. Gladys Wachira @ipf_global 3. Eve Matha from @BudgeTalkGlobal 4. David Karani @_ebwg 5. James Mwenda @HakiKNCHR 6. Fredrick Odhiambo @esrc_hakijamii 7. Roselyn Onyango @GIESCR #PublicDebtVsFuture TisaKenya At PDFFestival

Our first panel was a hit — now let’s take the conversation a notch higher. 🔥 🕑 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM Session 2: Closer to the People – Rethinking Debt, Devolution, and Accountability. This session will unpack how public resources can be managed in ways that truly serve citizens, strengthen devolution, and deepen accountability. This afternoon’s panel features: • Tom Ogada – TISA • Gladys Wachira – IPF • Eve Matha – Budget Talk Global • David Karani – Elimu Bora Working Group • James Mwenda – Kenya National Commission on Human Rights • Fredrick Odhiambo – HakiJamii • Roselyn Onyango – GI-ESCR If you’re at the People’s Dialogue Festival, come through, plug into the conversation, and be part of shaping how Kenya manages its resources for the people. 🇰🇪✨ #PublicDebtVsFuture

Our moderator Cuba Houghton posed a question to former Chief Justice David Maraga, who graciously joined the session: What should financing Kenya’s future look like, especially as future governments work toward achieving Vision 2030? In his response, Maraga emphasized that Kenya is a constitutional democracy, and the management of public resources is clearly guided by the Constitution and laws such as the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act. However, he noted that the country continues to struggle with a lack of fiscal discipline. He added that while Kenya has some of the best constitutional frameworks in the world, the challenge lies in implementation. According to him, systems have evolved in ways that allow leaders to benefit from public resources without adequate accountability, creating an environment where those entering government may seek to extract as much as possible from the system. As a result, he warned that the Constitution may exist on paper, but constitutionalism the faithful practice of those principlesremains a challenge. 🇰🇪 #PublicDebtVsFuture

In a lived reality, budget frameworks must reflect tangible impact. Stakeholders, especially parents and caregivers of children with disabilities, they want policies they can experience and see working in practice and not merely documents or presentations. They want systems that deliver measurable improvements in education, healthcare, and social protection. Therefore, effective budgeting must translate into visible support, accessible services, and accountability that communities can feel and trust. ~ Roseline Asena Oasis Relations Empowerment Initiative CBO

The pathway towards sustainable economic development must exist within a broader ecosystem that brings together strong institutional commitments and active civic participation. This can further be achieved by ensuring we design effective fiscal systems as these systems are responsible for managing public debt while also ensuring a robust regulatory framework that promotes transparency, accountability, and economic stability. If the above is fully achieved, it will create an enabling environment where economic actors, institutions, and citizens can continue to meaningfully participate in national development. #FormNiDialogue #PublicDebtVsFuture ~ Eunice Kamau Program Officer @nisisikenya

Devolution was intended to bring services closer to the people & improve equity, but many counties in Kenya continue to struggle with access, quality & affordability of water & sanitation. Where exactly is the gap & what systemic shifts are required? #FormNiDialogue #PDF2026

Kipkorir Biegon from @bajeti_hub weighed in on the relationship between public debt and service delivery. He noted that Kenya has a very young population, yet about 38.9% of Kenyans live below the poverty line, meaning many citizens depend heavily on public services such as health, education, and social support. While government revenue has been growing, the key question remains: why are we still struggling to deliver quality services? Biegon emphasized that improving governance can have a positive impact on how public debt is managed. Many of the financial decisions Kenya is dealing with today were made several years ago, and citizens are now feeling their effects. He also highlighted the need to address corruption and strengthen oversight, noting that in some cases the reasons for borrowing cannot even be clearly traced. Proper oversight, he argued, is critical to plug leakages and ensure borrowed and public resources are actually invested in services that benefit citizens. 🇰🇪

Hon. Peter Munya weighed in on the connection between Kenya’s tax system, public debt, and service delivery during the discussion on “Financing Kenya’s Future.” Speaking as a former governor, he raised a critical question: despite high levels of borrowing and increasing tax collection, why are citizens still struggling to see improvements in public services? He pointed to what he described as a clear link between corruption and the spiralling growth of public debt, arguing that weak accountability systems have allowed resources meant for development to be misused. One major concern highlighted is the misuse of dedicated public funds, particularly the fuel levy fund, which is meant specifically for road construction and maintenance.Instead of being used for its intended purpose, the fund is often diverted to support borrowing arrangements. In some cases, the government borrows against future fuel levy revenues, effectively pledging income that has not yet been collected for several years ahead. His remarks underscored a key theme of the conversation: Kenya’s challenge is not only how much it borrows or collects in taxes, but how transparently and effectively those resources are managed to deliver services to citizens. 🇰🇪 #FormNiDialogue #TISAatPDF

Today’s conversations at the People’s Dialogue Festival bring together powerful voices working at the heart of public finance, accountability, and citizen engagement. 🇰🇪 Our panels feature: • Angela Wangechi – Public Accountability Officer, TISA & Okoa Uchumi Lead • Cuba Houghton – @IBP • Eunice Kamau – @nisisikenya • Kipkorir Biegon – @BajetiHub • Rosaline Asena – Oasis Relations Empowerment Initiative CBO • Muthoki Nyamai – Co-founder, @BudgeTalkGlobal Together, they will unpack Kenya’s debt, public finance choices, devolution, and accountability, and what these mean for citizens. Join the conversation and be part of shaping solutions for Kenya’s future. #TisaAtPDF

Day 3 of the People’s Dialogue Festival is here and the conversations are getting even deeper. 🇰🇪✨ Join us from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM for a powerful discussion on: “Financing Kenya’s Future.” We’ll be unpacking how Kenya funds development, what public debt means for citizens, and the choices shaping our economic future. Come ready to listen, question, and engage. Your voice matters in these conversations.

Public debt is not a headline. Revenue allocation is not a technical footnote. Budget choices are not abstract policy conversations. They determine whether counties function, whether healthcare systems survive, whether young people find opportunity, and whether future generations inherit stability or strain. This Friday, Inuka Kenya Ni Sisi! will be participating in the People Dialogue Festival (PDF 2026) at Uhuru Park, contributing to the national conversation on Financing Kenya’s Future. As a grassroots civic movement committed to accountability and people-powered governance, we will interrogate: a) The sustainability of Kenya’s fiscal trajectory. b) The implications of debt accumulation and management. c) The future of devolution under fiscal strain. d) The role of citizens in shaping equitable revenue allocation Financing the nation is not just an economic exercise, it is a democratic choice. And democratic choices must be transparent, accountable, and people-centered. 📅 Friday, 6th March 2026 ⏰ 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM 📍 Uhuru Park, Nairobi We invite citizens, practitioners, and decision-makers to engage critically and constructively. Kenya’s future must not be mortgaged without public consent. Inuka. Engage. Demand accountability. #FormNiDialogue #PDF2026

🚨#EventAlert! Join @bajeti_hub & @BudgeTalkGlobal at the People Dialogue Festival 2026! 🇰🇪 📅 Mar 4-6 | 10AM-1PM 📍Uhuru Park, Nairobi ⏰10AM-1PM Don’t miss our Main PFM Session on Fri, Mar 6! Visit our 2 booths to interact with our work✊ #PDF2026 #BajetiHub #BudgetManenos

What if political parties considered the inclusion of SDGs in their manifestos? @IsaacWKinyua #DanidaFellows #SDGChampionsSummit2025

Translation to local languages remains critical to bring aboard as many champions as possible and ascertain success. Sheng', Shembeteng, Swahili, Kikuyu, Borana, Luo, Maasai etc. @IsaacWKinyua @JossieNyamai @SonOfTetu #DanidaFellows #SDGChampionsSummit2025

SDGs should be translated to local languages in ways that everyone understands what they are about and why they are important. @BudgeTalkGlobal @denmarkinkenya #DanidaFellows #SDGChampionsSummit2025

SDG 1 on Zero poverty, SDG 4 on education and SDG 10 on equality have been globally stalled in 2025.~Benson Kimani @UNDPKenya @denmarkinkenya @JossieNyamai @IsaacWKinyua #DanidaFellows #SDGChampionsSummit2025

By 2028, more people should understand SDGs and have acted towards their implementation. @BudgeTalkGlobal @IsaacWKinyua @JossieNyamai @denmarkinkenya #DanidaFellows #SDGChampionsSummit2025

SDG educators, CSO actors, UN bodies, the media and the Kenyan youth are some of the players who must be involved in creating a collaborative solutions for the SDG village. @denmarkinkenya #DanidaFellows #SDGChampionsSummit2025

One of the problems that SDG champions need to solve is to ensure that they have quality content to keep different stakeholders engaged. @denmarkinkenya @IsaacWKinyua #DanidaFellows #SDGChampionsSummit2025