The Canadian High Commission in Nairobi has been faulted over procurement, fuel monitoring and contractor payments, with an internal audit warning of weaknesses in controls over public resources.
A May 2026 audit by Global Affairs Canada found that the mission had made significant progress since a previous review in 2016, but said established procedures were not being applied consistently across its operations.
The audit focused on governance, procurement, asset management, human resources and duty-of-care requirements at the High Commission, Canada's largest diplomatic mission in Africa.
Nairobi is a major regional hub for Canada, hosting 171 employees and five partner government departments. It manages an annual budget exceeding $12.5 million, a 36-vehicle fleet, the chancery, official residence and 50 staff residences.
While auditors found the mission had a "strong management foundation" with effective governance structures, they identified significant weaknesses in procurement practices.
The audit found instances where procurement methods did not comply with Canadian policy, including sole-source contracts that exceeded approved thresholds.
Officials were also found to have split acquisition-card transactions to keep individual purchases below transaction limits and avoid more rigorous procurement procedures.
In some cases, expenditure was incurred before the required financial pre-approval was obtained under Section 32 of Canada's Financial Administration Act.
The auditors cited fleet fuel purchases as an example of expenditure occurring before the required authorisation.
There were also cases where officials confirmed that work had been completed and approved payments under Section 34 of the Act, even though the work had not been completed according to contract terms or invoice details.
"This exposes the mission to risks of overpayment, inaccurate charges and potential financial loss," the audit said.
The procurement concerns were compounded by the mission's reliance on a relatively small pool of recurring suppliers.
The audit said the limited number of local suppliers capable of meeting Canadian standards constrained competition, potentially increasing the risk of higher prices or declining service quality.
Auditors recommended that the mission strengthen procurement planning and oversight and ensure managers understand their responsibilities for authorising expenditure and confirming that goods and services have actually been received.
The audit also raised concerns about the management of the mission's vehicle fleet, particularly fuel.
Although about 85 per cent of the mission's fuel was purchased through the controlled United Nations Fuel Depot, auditors found weaker controls over fuel bought from other sources.
Fuel-efficiency analysis showed ‘unusually low mileage’, raising concerns that some fuel purchased by the mission may not have been used for its intended purpose.
The auditors stopped short of alleging misuse or theft, but said the findings warranted closer scrutiny of fuel purchases and consumption.
They also found that handwritten vehicle logbooks were incomplete and unreliable, with multiple trips and fuel purchases not recorded.
The gaps, auditors said, undermined the mission's ability to monitor vehicle utilisation, identify anomalies and determine whether fuel consumption was reasonable.
Property management was yet another concern. The mission had planning and budget tools in place, but auditors found uncertainty over the responsibilities of two key property officials. They noted that some members of the property team did not have skills fully aligned with the technical requirements of the portfolio.
More significantly, a review of recent renovations and repairs found weaknesses in quality assurance.
In several cases, maintenance and repair work had not been completed according to specifications or expected quality standards, yet the mission had signed off on the work and approved invoices.
The audit warned that inadequate post-completion verification could result in overpayments and leave assets inadequately maintained, potentially increasing long-term costs.
Again, the problem was linked partly to reliance on a limited pool of familiar local contractors.
The audit, however, found several areas where the Nairobi mission was performing well.
Governance was rated satisfactory, with active committees, clearly defined responsibilities and accessible policies and procedures.
Cash management was also satisfactory, while human resource processes were generally functioning effectively.
The mission had likewise established a structured inventory management system, although auditors identified minor opportunities for improving data completeness and consistency.
Overtime for locally engaged staff remained a concern, however, having regularly exceeded Global Affairs Canada's benchmark of five per cent of total salaries.
The audit said relocation-related operational pressures contributed to the high overtime but warned that it required greater management attention as funding pressures increase.
Emergency preparedness was another area requiring improvement.
Although the mission had an Emergency Management Committee, Emergency Response Team, alternate command post, emergency plan and regular drills, auditors found that the Mission Emergency Plan required updating.
Some Emergency Response Team members were also unclear about their responsibilities, prompting a recommendation for refresher training.
The findings, however, represented an improvement from the 2016 audit, which flagged governance, procurement, cash, fleet, property, materials and human resource controls as unsatisfactory.
In the latest review, governance and human resources were rated satisfactory, while fleet and materials management needed only minor improvement. Procurement and real property were rated as requiring significant improvement.
Global Affairs Canada said the Nairobi mission had agreed to all four recommendations arising from the audit.
Among the corrective measures are tighter procurement controls, annual financial management refresher training, stronger verification of contractor work and the introduction of the Fleetio system to improve monitoring of fuel use and vehicle operations.
The mission has also begun reviewing the size of its fleet, while its emergency plan is being updated.
