Kenya's Foreign Ministry has been wasting millions paying rent for diplomats who had been recalled

david nganga

March 7, 2018 5:27 PM

The ministry spent millions paying rent for residences whose envoys and staff had vacated.

Auditor General Edward Ouko has raised questions about millions spent on allowances and rent for diplomats who had been recalled.

Ouko said the Foreign Affairs ministry irregularly paid more than Sh48.2 million as Foreign Service allowances.

The ministry spent slightly more than half of the amount to pay rent for residences whose envoys and staff had vacated.

The Kenyan Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand paid a rent of f Sh8.7 million for the house previously occupied by the former ambassador who returned to Kenya in July 2013.

Likewise, the ministry paid Sh1.1 million and Sh13.6 million for vacant rooms in Kenyan Embassies based in Seoul (South Korea) and Mogadishu (Somalia) respectuvely.

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

Kenya's Ambassador to South Sudan was on the other hand paid Sh15 million perks for three years to June 2016 despite being recalled in 2013 and paid shipment allowance of Sh2.4 million.

david nganga