Kenya: MPs Put Kenya Law Reform Commission On Spot Over Sh2.1mn Unauthorised Spending

What the report says

Members of Kenya’s National Assembly Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education have questioned the Kenya Law Reform Commission (KLRC) over audit findings that point to spending above approved allocations on two budget lines. The issue, reported by Capital FM and distributed by AllAfrica, centers on alleged unauthorised expenditure during the 2018/19 to 2024/25 financial years, with particular attention to commission activities and repairs and maintenance.

According to the Auditor-General’s report cited in the article, KLRC spent more than was approved on commission expenses and on repairs and maintenance, creating overruns of Sh2.1 million and about Sh400,000 respectively. Auditor-General’s officials told MPs that the commission did not complete the required budget reallocation process before shifting funds between vote items. KLRC officials argued that the institution’s overall budget was still within limits and said the figures were later reclassified following audit advice.

Committee members rejected that explanation, saying the review was about whether specific expenditure lines had exceeded their approved ceilings without authorisation. MPs also questioned why alleged ratification documents were not provided earlier to auditors. KLRC finance officials said they would supply minutes showing later action by the commission, while the committee said it would revisit the matter when preparing its report.

The dispute highlights a broader public finance issue in Kenya: even when an institution stays within its total budget, it is still expected to follow legal procedures for reallocating money between individual spending categories.