Foreign Affairs dismisses CoB report on stalled embassy renovations

The State Department for Foreign Affairs has dismissed a report by the Controller of Budget that renovation works have stalled at diplomatic missions abroad.

The ministry said the findings misrepresent the true status of the projects.

In its National Government Budget Implementation Review Report for the first half of the 2025-26 financial year, Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o raised concerns over zero expenditure recorded on multiple renovation projects between July and December 2025.

Nothing was spent despite an allocation of Sh345 million for renovations in at least eight missions.

This includes properties in Kinshasa, Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma in Tanzania, Beijing, Abuja, Islamabad, Kampala and Harare.

None of the projects registered any spending during the six-month period under review, the report indicated.

PS Korir Sing’oei contested the CoB’s conclusions, terming them “erroneous”.

In a response to an inquiry by the Star, Sing’oei said the findings fail to account for the nature of renovations undertaken in foreign jurisdictions.

He said a significant portion of the first half of the financial year was dedicated to preparatory activities, which do not always translate into immediate financial absorption.

“Renovation works, especially those undertaken in foreign jurisdictions, require extensive preparatory work before execution,” Sing’oei said.

The CoB cited renovation of the embassy in Kinshasa — which was attacked and looted during protests in January last year — at a cost of Sh600 million, with Sh120 million allocated for the period.

The project remains only five per cent complete, with no recorded expenditure as of December 31, 2025.

Similarly, works in Addis Ababa, estimated at Sh500 million, were allocated Sh150 million but showed no spending, despite the project being 13 per cent complete since works began in July 2019.

Renovations in Dar es Salaam, including fencing works in Dodoma, also recorded zero expenditure despite a Sh5 million allocation, with progress standing at 21 per cent.

Projects in Kampala and Harare, each valued at Sh20 million, alongside chancery renovations in Abuja and upgrades to embassy facilities in Beijing, also did not show financial activity during the review period.

Even projects nearing completion, such as the embassy in Islamabad, which was indicated as 70 per cent complete, and those in Beijing and Abuja at 67 per cent status, recorded no new expenditure.

This has raised questions about the pace of implementation and utilisation of development funds in the department, against past findings by the Auditor General on the substandard state of Kenya’s foreign missions.

Auditor General Nancy Gathungu has year-in year-out highlighted the deteriorating infrastructure in these missions, including leaking roofs, cracked walls, peeling paint and stalled renovations in several embassies.

In Nigeria, for instance, audit reports flagged leaking roofs in the chancery, the residence and staff quarters in Abuja. In Tanzania, renovations of staff houses in Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam, have been stalled since 2020.

Similar concerns have been raised over missions in France, Germany and China, with some embassies operating from rented premises, despite government ownership of properties in these capitals.

Sing’oei explained, however, that the initial phase of the projects involved technical assessments and condition surveys.

They also involve project scoping, design reviews, preparation of bills of quantities and procurement processes ¾ all conducted in compliance with Kenyan law and host-country regulations.

In addition, coordination with individual missions and adherence to building codes in foreign countries contributed to the delay in actual spending.

The government has allocated Sh2.103 billion in the current financial year for the renovation and upgrading of diplomatic facilities abroad as part of a broader modernisation programme.

Sing’oei said, contrary to the CoB’s report, development expenditure has already been incurred on several projects, bringing total spending to Sh535 million — an absorption rate of 26.6 per cent.

This includes Sh500 million for the purchase of the chancery in London, Sh18 million for renovation works in London, Sh7 million for operations in South Africa and Sh10 million for works in Harare.

He said renovation works are already underway in Washington, DC and Dar es Salaam, with some projects completed or at advanced stages.

“The groundwork completed during the initial phase means that renovation works are now progressing across the targeted missions and we remain confident that the projects will be completed within the current financial year,” he said.

The embassy in Washington, DC on Saturday sent out tender invitations for valuation of the premises as well as their insurance.

The PS maintained the preparatory phase is critical to ensuring value for money, safety and compliance, particularly given the complexities of executing construction projects in foreign countries.

The state department also defended its oversight mechanisms, saying all projects are subject to strict procurement laws and monitored through internal control and implementation teams to safeguard public resources.