“No More Gov’t Office Space Leasing!” – Cabinet Declares
The Cabinet has banned the lease or hiring of any new government office space pending a nationwide examination of current public offices and their use.
The decision was made during a Cabinet meeting convened by President William Ruto on Tuesday, June 30, at State House in Nairobi.
This is part of the broader reforms aimed at cutting government spending and enhancing public service delivery.
According to a statement received by this magazine, the moratorium is designed to give the government time to evaluate how present office space is being used before committing to any new leases or rentals.
βIn another cost-saving measure, Cabinet froze the leasing or hiring of additional office space pending an audit of Government office space and utilisation,β the statement read.
πππππππ πππππππππππ pic.twitter.com/1RIW97HzAdβ William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) June 30, 2026
Additionally, the Cabinet has ordered that existing public offices be renovated and upgraded to improve operations.
It said it is βdeveloping a comprehensive programme to renovate public offices and make them more efficient and fit for service delivery.β
The move forms part of a wider set of cost-saving measures targeting the use of taxpayersβ money across government operations.
Kenyans have increasingly raised concerns over the governmentβs use of public funds, with growing demands for greater accountability.
A 2025 audit revealed that the government was losing millions of shillings in rent for offices that remained vacant.
Departments including the Ministry of Sports, State Law Office, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Commission on Revenue Allocation, and Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises were flagged for owing a combined Ksh125 million in unpaid rent.
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In May, Parliament directed the National Treasury to immediately stop allocating funds for the renovation, partitioning or structural modification of leased office spaces.
The 2026/2027 Budget Summary confirmed that all funding for such adjustments will be discontinued to reduce unnecessary public expenditure and ensure better use of public resources.
Consequently, the government was exploring alternative financing models, including Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), to fund and manage official buildings.
Private investors are expected to design, finance, construct, and maintain facilities.
However, with fresh orders from Cabinet, all further efforts have effectively been frozen.
This signals a shift toward tighter control of public spending and a review of ongoing and planned office space-related initiatives.
“No More Gov’t Office Space Leasing!” – Cabinet Declares
