Assessing Budget Transparency Through Comprehensive Information Disclosure: The Case of Program‐Based Budgeting Practices in Kenya County Governments

ABSTRACT This study examines budget transparency by analyzing comprehensive information disclosure within program‐based budgets across Kenya's county governments. Using panel data from the County Budget Transparency Survey (CBTS) for the period 2021–2024, the analysis investigates the extent to which counties disclose revenue, expenditure, and non‐financial information, and evaluates how these disclosures affect overall budget transparency. The findings reveal persistent information asymmetries, particularly in the disclosure of revenue and non‐financial information, which undermine counties' budget transparency scores. Accordingly, the study highlights the need for public officials—both administrative and elected—to adopt and implement best practices in fiscal transparency through the comprehensive disclosure of budgetary information.