The parliamentary Committee on Communication, Information, and Innovation has rejected the budget proposal from the Ministry of ICT and Digital Economy, under Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo.
According to the committee, the ministry had financial inconsistencies, and stalled projects, and the CS did not engage the public.
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The ministry was presenting its 2025 Budget Policy Statement (BPS).
“We want to hear you, feel you, and see you in public,” MP Bensouda told the CS. “People don’t even know what digital hubs are or what the Ministry actually does. How are you addressing this?”
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Parliament Committee Explains Reason for Rejecting Kabogo’s Budget
Chaired by Dagoretti South MP John Kiarie, the Committee grilled the Ministry’s top officials over budget transparency and accountability.
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Further, despite showcasing achievements like the digital superhighway, digital hubs in 1,450 constituencies, and government digitization, the lawmakers were unimpressed. The MPs listed the ministry’s failures including inactive public Wi-Fi hotspots, incomplete projects, and a general lack of awareness among Kenyans about the Ministry’s initiatives.
“We don’t want to be a government that just speaks and doesn’t deliver,” said MP Geoffrey Wandeto, who demanded clear, tangible results.
Additionally, the ministry was cornered to explain the unfinished projects across the country, with the committee arguing that it was not spending public resources correctly.
In response, Principal Secretary (PS) Eng. John Tanui admitted that digital hubs and public Wi-Fi faced sustainability challenges. However, he reassured MPs that solutions were in the works.
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Discrepancies in William Kabogo’s Budget
At the same time, the MPs poked holes in stalled projects such as Studio Mashinani, a program aimed at nurturing local creative talent, and the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC).
The Eldoret branch of KIMC received no funding, while money was allocated for refurbishing the Ministry’s headquarters.
The budget also failed to address the Ksh52 billion debt weighing down the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC).
However, CS Kabogo insisted that the Ministry was working on clearing inefficiencies before requesting additional funds.
MP Miruka condemned the “blanket variation in the budget,” calling it “wrong and unacceptable.” His colleagues agreed, pressing the Ministry to provide a clearer financial roadmap.
Consequently, the legislators deemed the proposed budget inadmissible, instructing the Ministry to go back, refine its figures, and return with a plan that delivers measurable results for all Kenyans.
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