Okoa Uchumi Coalition Faults KSh 4.82 Trillion Budget During Press Conference

Story by Ayubu John Afrimedia Group Nairobi 

The Okoa Uchumi Campaign Coalition, led by Diana Gichengo, has faulted the government’s proposed KSh 4.82 trillion budget for the 2026/27 financial year, warning that Kenya is sliding into a deeper economic crisis driven by excessive borrowing, punitive taxation, and declining public services.

Okoa Uchumi Coalition Faults KSh 4.82 Trillion Budget During Press Conference

Speaking during a press conference on Thursday, the coalition described the budget as a “terrifying contradiction,” arguing that government expenditure continues to rise even as healthcare, education, and household livelihoods deteriorate across the country.

According to the coalition, the proposed budget exceeds the ceiling set in the 2026 Budget Policy Statement by KSh 69.3 billion and is heavily dependent on what it termed unrealistic revenue projections amounting to KSh 2.986 trillion despite slowing economic growth.

Addressing journalists, Gichengo said the widening fiscal deficit and growing dependence on domestic borrowing could cripple the private sector and worsen unemployment.

“The government’s growing dependence on domestic debt financing risks crowding out the private sector, collapsing businesses, and causing massive job losses,” she said during the briefing.

The coalition further cited Treasury figures indicating Kenya’s public debt has risen to KSh 12.84 trillion, with domestic debt surpassing KSh 7 trillion for the first time in the country’s history.

Fuel Crisis and G-to-G Deal Criticized

During the press conference, the coalition strongly criticized the Government-to-Government (G-to-G) fuel importation framework, alleging it has become a platform for cartels and conflicted business interests.

The coalition claimed state actors and selected oil marketing companies manipulated supply systems to create artificial fuel shortages that later justified emergency procurements outside competitive procedures.

The group also accused authorities of allowing the circulation of substandard fuel with elevated sulphur levels, saying the products are damaging vehicles and national infrastructure while consumers continue paying high pump prices.

The coalition linked the fuel crisis to the rising cost of electricity after the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) increased electricity charges by KSh 4.16 per kilowatt-hour to cater for fuel, forex, and power purchase costs.

“Ordinary households are sinking deeper into poverty even as food insecurity and malnutrition continue to rise,” the coalition stated.

Alarm Over Health and Education

The coalition also raised concerns over the state of healthcare and education, accusing corruption networks of looting public resources while essential services collapse.

It referenced alleged fraud within the Social Health Authority (SHA), claiming KSh 11 billion was lost through fake medical claims and ghost procedures during the authority’s rollout.

According to the coalition, some private facilities filed claims for surgeries they lacked the equipment to perform, including Caesarean procedures in clinics without operating theatres.

The group also pointed to shortages of medical supplies at Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA), delayed capitation in schools, and strikes by healthcare workers as evidence of deteriorating public services.

Coalition Demands Action

The coalition called on the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to prosecute individuals linked to alleged fuel and health sector scandals.

It also urged Parliament to remove controversial clauses in the Draft Finance Bill 2026 that it says threaten personal data privacy and give excessive powers to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).

Further, the coalition opposed the proposed increase in excise duty on mobile phones from 10 percent to 25 percent, arguing that the move would make smartphones unaffordable for low-income Kenyans and undermine digital inclusion.

The group also called for a reduction of the proposed KSh 4.8 trillion budget to align with realistic revenue collection and urged the government to prioritize social services over recurrent expenditure.

Addressing wananchi during the press conference, the coalition appealed for peaceful civic engagement and national unity, warning that worsening economic pressures could trigger unemployment, social unrest, and deeper inequality if left unchecked.