Gov't Sets Aside Sh700 Million to Renovate Dilapidated Kenyan Embassies in the US, London

The government has set aside Sh700 million for the renovation of dilapidated Kenyan Embassies and residences of diplomats in London, Washington, DC and New York.

Kenyan ambassadors in the three cities have been forced to rent premises due to the poor state of their official homes and offices.

National Treasury budget documents seen by the Business Daily showed that Sh250 million has been allocated to renovate the High Commissioner’s residence in London, Sh250 million for Washington, DC properties and Sh200 million for New York homes.

In an audit report last year, Auditor-General Edward Ouko said Kenyan envoys had been forced to spend billions of shillings every year to rent properties as residences built by taxpayers fall apart due to neglect.

Ouko singled out the Kenyan embassies in Washington DC, New York, and London, saying that some of them had leaking roofs.

“No proper justification has been given for leasing residential houses considering that the Government of Kenya has houses for the ambassadors in New York and London except for failure to maintain these properties in habitable conditions,” said Ouko.

He added: “An expenditure of Sh2.3 billion on a lease of properties abroad could have been minimized if there was a clear policy on purchase or construction of government-owned properties for the missions.”

A parliamentary report also noted that the building hosting the Kenyan Embassy in Washington DC was greatly neglected.