The government has issued a response following a wave of outrage over claims that the Bomas of Kenya had been auctioned to a foreign investor.
On Sunday, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua sensationally claimed that the historic Bomas of Kenya had been sold to a Turkish national, adding that the Cabinet had approved the sale.
However, in a rejoinder statement on Monday, March 10, Principal Secretary of the State Department for Culture and Arts, Ummi Bashir, refuted the claims, stating that the famous national heritage site had not been sold to anyone.
"By dint of Executive Order of Government No 2 of 2023, Bomas of Kenya was placed under the State Department for Culture, the Arts and Heritage," Bashir said in his statement.
"I am therefore shocked by the allegations made by the former Deputy President regarding the sale of Bomas of Kenya to a Turkish national. The State Department for Culture, the Arts and Heritage categorically refutes this allegation. Bomas of Kenya has not been sold to anyone."
Bashir further debunked claims that the ongoing transformation of Bomas of Kenya was the work of a foreign investor, adding that renovations to upgrade the facility began as far back as 2023 after approval by the Cabinet.
"The idea of refurbishing and upgrading Bomas of Kenya is not new and has been under consideration for the past 10 years. Nevertheless, it is the current administration that has given impetus to its actualisation. The Bomas of Kenya has a valid title in its name, issued in 1971," Bashir added in his statement.
The PS further clarified that the government aims to refurbish Bomas to make it a premium conferencing facility as part of a bold vision to transform it into a complex of international standards.
Finally, Bashir reiterated that Bomas of Kenya would remain a government facility and that there were no foreseeable plans to sell it to anyone.
Bashir's statement came amid criticism sparked by former Deputy President Gachagua, who made explosive allegations against the government at the ACK Holy Trinity Church in Kitengela, Kajiado County, on Sunday, March 9. Gachagua claimed that despite the Cabinet's alleged approval of the deal, he was the only one who opposed the move.
The former Deputy President further claimed that President William Ruto and the Cabinet had ignored concerns raised by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), which allegedly warned that revamping Bomas of Kenya would pose a risk as it was located within a critical flight path.
According to Gachagua, the alleged Turkish businessman was a close ally of a senior government official.
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