Garissa among 14 counties yet to submit FY 2026/27 budgets, while Wajir and Mandera secure clearance and Isiolo awaits review.
ASAL POST | National News
NAIROBI, Kenya – August 2026 – County governments across Kenya are facing growing financial pressure, with employees in more than 35 devolved units affected by delays in the approval of budgets needed to unlock expenditure, including salary payments.
The Controller of Budget (CoB), Margaret Nyakang’o, has attributed the delays largely to county governments’ failure to submit their budgets within the required timelines, as well as errors and omissions contained in some of the documents already submitted.
According to the latest update from the Controller of Budget, counties were expected to submit their FY 2026/27 budgets by June 30. However, a number of administrations delayed their submissions until August, leaving the CoB’s office to review a large volume of documents within a short period.
As of August 10, 2026, only 33 of Kenya’s 47 counties, representing 70.2 per cent, had submitted their budgets to the Controller of Budget, while 14 counties, or 29.8 per cent, had not submitted their budgets.
Only Nine Counties Cleared
The approval process remains a major hurdle for counties seeking to access funds through the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS).
By 3pm on the latest reporting day, only nine counties had completed the review process and received Budget Clearance Letters from the Controller of Budget.
The counties were Samburu, Kakamega, Kisii, Vihiga, Mandera, Wajir, Lamu, Taita Taveta and West Pokot.
The clearance allows counties to upload their approved budgets onto IFMIS and subsequently make financial requisitions, including those required to process salaries and meet other expenditure obligations.
Garissa Among Counties Yet to Submit Budget
Garissa County is among the 14 counties that had not submitted their budgets to the Controller of Budget by the latest reporting date.
The other counties are Nairobi, Nyandarua, Kisumu, Siaya, Embu, Kitui, Meru, Machakos, Mombasa, Tana River, Elgeyo Marakwet, Trans Nzoia and Uasin Gishu.
The lack of submission means these counties cannot proceed to the budget clearance stage and upload their budgets onto IFMIS until the required documents are submitted and reviewed.
For county employees, the delays have raised concerns over the processing of July salaries, alongside other financial obligations facing the devolved units.
Northern Kenya Counties Show Mixed Performance
The situation across the Northern Kenya region presents a mixed picture.
Wajir and Mandera are among the nine counties that had completed the budget review process and received clearance for IFMIS upload, putting them in a position to proceed with financial requisitions.
Isiolo, meanwhile, had submitted its budget but was still awaiting review by the Controller of Budget.
Garissa, on the other hand, was among the 14 counties yet to submit its budget at the time of the latest update.
The position of Marsabit is not identified in the supplied CoB update among the nine cleared counties, four awaiting review or 14 outstanding submissions. Therefore, its precise status cannot be established from the figures provided.
The varying positions of the Northern Kenya counties highlight the importance of timely budget submission and compliance with the statutory review process, particularly as counties face salary and other expenditure obligations.
18 Counties Asked to Make Corrections
Late submission is not the only challenge facing county governments.
The Controller of Budget said 18 counties had received comment letters after her office identified omissions and other issues in their submitted budgets.
The affected counties are expected to address the concerns before their budgets can proceed to the next stage of the approval process.
A further four counties – Nyamira, Isiolo, Tharaka Nithi and Turkana had submitted their budgets but were still awaiting review.
This means that even submission alone does not guarantee immediate clearance, as county budgets must meet the required legal and financial compliance standards before they can be uploaded onto IFMIS.
CoB: Counties Submitted Budgets Late
Nyakang’o said the late submissions had placed considerable pressure on her office, which must review each budget before issuing clearance.
“Their budgets have not been uploaded into IFMIS. They submitted their budgets in August, and I have to go through each of them,” Nyakang’o said.
She also warned that some county budgets contained serious omissions, forcing her office to return them to the respective administrations for correction and compliance.
The Controller of Budget’s comments effectively shift responsibility for much of the current delay to county governments, particularly those that failed to meet the June 30 submission deadline.
Salary Payments Remain a Major Concern
The delays have created uncertainty for county workers who are yet to receive their July salaries, while county governments also face other immediate financial obligations.
Until a county’s budget is reviewed and cleared, it cannot complete the necessary IFMIS processes required to make expenditure requests.
The affected counties must therefore submit outstanding budgets, respond to comments and correct identified gaps before they can obtain clearance.
What This Means for Garissa
For Garissa County, being listed among the 14 counties that had not submitted their budget underscores the urgency of completing the budget process.
Timely submission and compliance will be critical for the county to move to the review and clearance stages, upload its budget onto IFMIS and proceed with financial requisitions.
The situation also places additional importance on coordination between the County Executive, County Treasury, County Assembly and relevant technical departments to ensure that outstanding requirements are addressed and the budget process moves forward.
Northern Kenya at a Glance
| County | Status in CoB Update |
| Mandera | ✅ Cleared for IFMIS upload |
| Wajir | ✅ Cleared for IFMIS upload |
| Isiolo | ⏳ Submitted — awaiting review |
| Garissa | ⚠️ Budget not submitted |
| Marsabit | ℹ️ Status not specified in the supplied update |
With county workers across the country awaiting salary payments and counties facing mounting expenditure obligations, the speed at which the remaining administrations complete their budget processes will determine how quickly normal financial operations can resume.
ASAL POST will continue monitoring the budget and salary situation in Garissa and across the Northern Kenya counties.
