Foreign Affairs Ministry on the Spot Over Sh48 Million Spent on Recalled Envoys

Kenya's Foreign Affairs Ministry has been placed on the spot after it was established that more than Sh48.2 million was wasted in paying allowances and rent for envoys who had been recalled from their stationed countries.

An audit report by Auditor-General Edward Ouko indicates that the ministry used more than half of the aforementioned amount on rent for apartments whose diplomats and employees had vacated.

Ouko further says that the ministry irregularly paid millions as Foreign Service allowances. Kenyan embassies including that in the United States and Russia paid staff allowances for higher grades.

Ouko said that Kenyan Ambassador to South Sudan received Sh15 million pay for three years to June 2016, despite having being recalled in 2013. Sh2.4 million was also paid to him as shipment allowance.

The Auditor-General further established that Kenyan Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand continued to pay rent for the apartment previously occupied by the former diplomat, who returned to Kenya in 2013. Sh8.7 million was used to settle rent for the property.

Further Kenyan Embassy in Seoul, South Korea,used Sh1.1 million to pay rent for a vacant house; while that in Mogadishu, Somalia, paid Sh13.6 million for unoccupied room. It has been paying Sh$250 (Sh25,500) per day for unoccupied apartment.

“A room, therefore, remained vacant for 554 days but was paid for, resulting in an irregular expenditure of Sh13,697,650,” Mr Ouko said.