Dilapidated diplomatic offices and residences in New York and London have been denied Sh250 million for upgrade, with taxpayers set to continue incurring billions of shillings in annual rents for ambassadors.
Members of Parliament through the mini-budget tabled before the House on Tuesday revised the recurrent budget for the Foreign Affairs ministry, cutting Sh104 million meant to renovate the Chancery in New York and Sh150 million for facelift of the London embassy.
The budget cuts will see taxpayers continue to pay millions of shillings to lease offices and residential space to accommodate the diplomatic missions.
Diplomats in London and New York have been forced to rent homes and offices due to the aging and dilapidated offices.
This has pushed rental costs for diplomats’ homes and offices to Sh2.5 billion in the year to June. The Treasury had in May said that it will cost taxpayers Sh250 million to renovate the dilapidated and aging high commissioner’s residence in London and a further ShSh200 million for New York homes and office. The cuts are part of the reductions by MPs that cut the Supplementary Budget proposed by the Treasury from Sh80.1 billion to Sh50.57 billion. “The performance of revenue for financial year 2019/20 may fall short by Sh120 billion to stand at Sh1.7 trillion by the close of the financial year,” the committee said in the report tabled before the House on Tuesday.
Foreign Affairs ministry has recently indicated a change of plan from lease of space to property purchase amid the surge in rental costs for embassies and consulates.
The reduction in funds meant to upgrade the most prestigious diplomatic missions for Kenya come even as former Auditor General Edward Ouko last year said there was no proper justification for the leasing of the residential houses in New York and London except for failure to keep the properties in habitable conditions.
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