NAIROBI, Kenya, June 10 – County budget transparency reached its highest level in five years in 2025, driven by improved public access to budget information and stronger accountability mechanisms, according to the latest County Budget Transparency Survey (CBTS).
The survey, released by Bajeti Hub, shows that the average county budget transparency score rose to 65 points out of 100 in 2025, up from 61 points in 2024. This marks the highest performance since the survey was launched in 2021.
Makueni County emerged as the best-performing county with a score of 89 points, narrowly ahead of Nyeri County, which scored 88 points. Nakuru and Busia followed with 87 and 85 points respectively, with all four counties attaining an ‘A’ grade.
The report attributes the improvement to enhanced fiscal disclosure practices, increased public access to budget information, and stronger accountability frameworks adopted by county governments.
“Counties have demonstrated sustained improvement in budget transparency over the last five years, where the average transparency index increased from 35 points in 2021 to 65 points in 2025, representing a cumulative improvement of 30 points,” the report stated.
According to the survey, Busia, Kericho, Makueni, Nakuru, Taita Taveta and Vihiga counties have consistently improved their transparency scores year-on-year between 2021 and 2025.
The report further indicates that 27 counties recorded improvements in their transparency performance during the year under review.
However, 20 counties registered declines in their scores, reflecting persistent challenges in the timely publication of budget documents, full disclosure of fiscal information, and accessibility of budget data to citizens.
Marsabit County recorded the lowest score at 24 points, while Migori and Kilifi scored 36 and 40 points respectively.
Despite the disparities, the survey notes a significant milestone, with no county scoring below 20 points for the first time since the assessment began.
“This suggests that while many counties have improved overall transparency performance, sustaining continuous annual progress remains a challenge for a significant number of county governments,” the report noted.
The findings come as county governments face increasing pressure from citizens, oversight institutions and development partners to improve transparency, strengthen public participation and ensure prudent management of public resources.
Budget transparency is considered a key pillar of accountable governance as it enables citizens to monitor how public funds are allocated and spent, while also promoting trust in public institutions.
