By S, KNA
Government officials, think tanks, and sector stakeholders on Friday convened at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) for public hearings on the 2026/27 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) budget, with focus on environmental protection, water, natural resources, and mining sectors.
The sessions highlighted critical gaps in resource allocation, monitoring, and inter-sectoral coordination, and stressed the need for innovation and evidence-based planning to meet national and global development goals.
Principal Secretary (PS) for Mining, Harry Kimtai, noted that while the government has made strides in planning and resource allocation, significant gaps persist, especially in aligning sector strategies with budgets.
“Even if we look at the next three years, 2027 to 2029, the resource gaps remain substantial. In water and sanitation, the needs far exceed available funding. Mining, forestry, and environmental protection also face similar challenges. It is critical that we strengthen budgeting frameworks to ensure that priorities are addressed effectively,” he highlighted.
Additionally, the PS noted that poor integration of sector strategies with budget allocations often leads to delays and inefficiencies in project implementation.
Kimtai also stressed the importance of accountability and value-for-money assessments stating, “We need to ensure that every shilling spent delivers tangible results. For example, why should a pen cost fifty shillings in government procurement when the market price is ten? Initiatives like the Economic Governance Programme are vital to enforce transparency and efficiency in resource utilization”.
Representing the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA), Joshua Laichena urged the government to strengthen monitoring, evaluation, and risk assessment frameworks.
Laichena highlighted that the current Medium-Term Development Vision (MDV) lacks a consolidated sector outcome framework and proper linkages between inputs, outputs, and impacts.
“The theory of change is largely missing. Monitoring and evaluation systems are underdeveloped, risk assessments and mitigation strategies are absent, and emerging issues such as climate change, renewable energy, and artificial intelligence are not fully integrated into the sector plans,” observed Laichena.
He further emphasized the need for evidence-based planning to support resource mobilization, noting that well-documented data can strengthen investment cases and attract development partner support.
Further, Laichena cited pressing sector-specific challenges including non-revenue water in Kenya which stands at 44 percent, far above the global standard of 15 percent, pointing to systemic inefficiencies in water management.
He also observed that many irrigation programs experience budget cuts without in-depth cost analysis, making it difficult to evaluate performance.
“In forestry and wildlife management, tree planting initiatives have shown impressive coverage, but there are no sustainability indicators or systematic monitoring of forest carbon stocks and biodiversity. Similarly, human-wildlife conflict continues to rise without a clear cost mitigation plan,” reported Laichena.
Similarly, the MTEF hearings also examined emerging issues such as green infrastructure, net-zero pathways, climate adaptation, and technological innovations as Laichena called for integrating artificial intelligence and digital twin technologies in monitoring wildlife, air quality, and other environmental indicators.
He stressed that such innovations could improve efficiency, track environmental impacts, and guide policy interventions.
Both speakers underscored the importance of cross-sectoral coordination with Kimtai urging counties to align their development plans with national priorities to ensure coherent implementation, while Laichena recommended establishing coordination platforms among forestry, climate change, irrigation, and mining sub-sectors.
“There is a need for joint planning, expenditure prioritization, and implementation frameworks. Without a unified sector approach, we risk overlapping mandates and inefficient use of resources,” Laichena cautioned.
Concurrently, the hearings also focused on gaps in financial planning and project prioritization as Laichena observed that while the sector reports list priorities, there is no ranking formula or trade-off analysis to guide decision-making.
In addition, he pointed out that many projects are costed without accounting for associated policies or emerging issues, leaving critical interventions underfunded.
PS Kimtai concluded that addressing these challenges requires political will, technical capacity, and innovative financing.
“We must explore blended finance, public-private partnerships, and alternative funding mechanisms to bridge resource gaps. This is crucial if we are to achieve the Vision 2030 goals and Sustainable Development Goals,” he advised.
Meanwhile, the public sector hearings form part of ongoing efforts by the National Treasury and government agencies to ensure transparency, accountability, and efficiency in public expenditure. They provide a platform for rigorous review of past performance, identification of systemic gaps, and alignment of budget priorities with Kenya’s medium and long-term development objectives.