A report by the Auditor General has detailed how Kenya splashed millions of shillings on ten properties that it owns in the United States.
According to the 2020-2021 Financial Year, Kenya owned - by way of acquisition or rental - and maintained 10 houses in New York City and Washington DC.
Auditor General Nancy Gathugu noted that the Kenyan government owns five properties in New York with one housing the Chancery and the Consulate, while the other four are classified as residential properties.
The Office of the Auditor General faulted the government for failing to secure any insurance cover to mitigate them against losses or damages in case of disaster.
The New York house is designated for the Ambassador and sits on approximately two acres of land. The Ambassador's house also has a residential building known as Kenya House – New York.
The house has been vacant for over ten years despite being the designated official residence. The report indicated that the Ambassador lives on a leased property with the government paying an annual rent of Ksh23,310,000.
In addition, the Kenyan Mission to US incurs annual maintenance expenses of Ksh120,000 and an estimated annual utility cost of Ksh868,289 on the unoccupied property.
"The government has been incurring avoidable expenses or losses totalling approximately Ksh24,298,289 per annum due to failure to ensure that the official residence is occupied by the Ambassador," the Auditor General report reads in part.
Five properties in Washington DC
The government owns five properties in Washington DC. According to the report, the Kenya Mission in DC employed eleven home-based staff.
The Ambassador and the Finance Attaché are officially housed while the Deputy Chief of Mission is living in his own house. The other eight members of staff are housed in leased premises where the Mission pays a monthly rent ranging between Ksh310,000 (USD3,100) and Ksh375,000 (USD3,750) per month for each house.
Two others residential houses are still vacant and have been unoccupied for three months. There is yet another three-bedroom house which has been unoccupied for more than a year.
The report noted that the Mission incurs approximated expenditure of Ksh8,892,689 (USD88,926.89) per annum on utility and cleaning of the compounds.
"Had the vacant properties been fully utilized, the government would have saved a total of Ksh13,842,689 comprising of rent of Ksh3,720,000 per annum being paid for one of the local staff who should have occupied the three bed roomed house and rent for three months of Ksh1,230,000 paid for the Deputy Ambassador had he occupied the six bedroomed house and expenditure of Ksh8,892,689 on utility and cleaning of the compounds," the Auditor General report stated.
Beyond US, Kenya purchased a house in Geneva. The government was faulted by the Auditor General for presenting wrong details on the property. The property was reportedly acquired at a value of Ksh547,728,270.
