Fact-Check: Claims About Liberia First Lady's Budget Allocation Found Misleading
Claim: "In 2024, the budget of the First Lady was $1,169,415 USD. In 2025, her budget is USD 1,832,257. There's no account of where all this money is going. Not one initiative she has carried out since becoming First Lady."
Source: Aloysius Howe, former Special Assistant to former Finance and Development Planning Minister Samuel Tweah
Verdict: Misleading
Full Text: On June 29, 2025, Howe posted on Facebook claiming that Liberia's First Lady, Kartumu Y. Boakai, received over USD 1.1 million in the 2024 national budget and $1.8 million in 2025, alleging no visible programs or initiatives exist to justify the spending.
The post generated 88 reactions, 156 comments, and 26 shares at the time of verification.
Verification: To verify the claim, The Stage Media contacted Dr. Adam Kyne, Senior Advisor and Head of Project in the Office of the First Lady.
Dr. Kyne said, "The Office of the First Lady is non-statutory, meaning it does not have a constitutionally mandated budget line under the national budget framework. Therefore, there is no direct allocation of US$1.1 million in 2024 or US$1.8 million in 2025 specifically designated for the operations of the Office of the First Lady."
A review of Liberia's 2024 and 2025 national budgets confirms that no direct line-item allocation exists for the Office of the First Lady under the claimed figures.
According to Kyne, programs and engagements initiated by the Office are implemented through partnerships with government ministries, international development partners, and other institutions.
On July 9, 2025, TSM communicated with the Communications Department to authenticate the information. After several follow-ups, Mr. Daniel Nyakonah stated that the information had been forwarded to the Budget Department for appropriate action.
On July 21, 2025, TSM contacted Carolyn Myres of the Budget Department, who informed us that she is out of the country seeking medical attention. On July 22, 2025, Myres indicated that her boss had instructed TSM to send a formal communication directly to the Minister of Finance and Development Planning.
In compliance with the directive, TSM sent an official communication to Minister Augustine K. Ngafuan on July 24, 2025. As of the date of this report, no formal response has been received from the minister’s office.
TSM has made multiple documented attempts to secure clarification and action on the matter, following protocol and departmental referrals.
Research revealed several initiatives led by First Lady Boakai:
December 3, 2024: Dedication of a renovated maternal ward at the Pipeline Community Health Center, conducted in partnership with the Ministry of Health.
May 14, 2025: Launch of a training program for 106 health workers in nurse anesthetist, preoperative, technician, and radiography at TNIMA, as reported by the Daily Observer.
November 23, 2024: Donation of essential medical supplies to Redemption Hospital in collaboration with UNFPA, WHO, and UNICEF, as part of efforts to address maternal and neonatal mortality.
Conclusion : The claim that over $3 million USD was allocated to the Office of the First Lady in the 2024 and 2025 national budgets is misleading. Official budget records show no such direct allocation. Additionally, documented evidence shows the First Lady has been involved in multiple health and humanitarian initiatives since assuming office.
