Today, Wednesday, October 28, 2026, is the deadline for the public and stakeholders to submit comments on the draft 2027 Budget Policy Statement (BPS) for the 2027/28 to 2029/30 financial years, with the National Treasury asking for views by close of business at bps@treasury.go.ke.
The Treasury has urged interested parties, including county governments, constitutional commissions and members of the public, to send in their views so the document can be finalised. The consultations are required under the Public Finance Management Act, 2012.
The draft is scheduled to go to Parliament by November 16, 2026, brought forward from the original November 30 date under a revised budget calendar designed to accommodate the August 2027 General Election. The change is meant to ensure Parliament approves the budget estimates by March 31, 2027, with the Budget Statement due on March 18.
The draft BPS shows a bigger budget and wide deficit. Reports put the 2027/28 budget at about Sh5.4 trillion, with a projected fiscal deficit of Sh1.35 trillion. The Treasury plans to borrow about Sh924.9 billion locally and Sh393.9 billion from external lenders to fill the gap.
It expects the deficit to ease over the medium term, from 5.9 percent of gross domestic product in 2027/28 to 5.4 percent in 2028/29, 5.1 percent in 2029/30 and 4.9 percent in 2030/31. The draft also projects lower development spending than the earlier Budget Review and Outlook Paper.
To support revenue, the Treasury says it will widen the tax base, strengthen compliance through digital systems and keep zero-based budgeting and tighter expenditure controls. It also plans to prioritise completing ongoing projects and settling pending bills.
The BPS sets the fiscal framework for the detailed budget estimates. Earlier this month, the Treasury wrapped up sector hearings led by Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, covering health, education, agriculture, energy, infrastructure, governance, social protection and public administration.
The Treasury has said the shortened timeline puts pressure on it to consolidate submissions and refine spending priorities quickly. The proposals remain subject to parliamentary scrutiny and may change before the final budget is approved.
