A number of Kenya’s consulates risk ruin or closure after the government failed to allocate Sh13.1 billion to upgrade them.
Foreign Affairs CS Monica Juma yesterday delivered the bad news to MPs and complained of a Sh15 billion budget shortfall in the ministry.
Treasury allocated the ministry Sh15.5 billion, despite its request for Sh37.4 billion to fund its projects, including a new diplomatic missions and payment of salaries.
The affected missions are in Djibouti, Accra, Maputo, Jakarta, Rabat and Dakar as well as consulates general in Guangzhou, Mumbai and Lagos. They have been allocated Sh600 million against the required Sh3.4 billion.
The ministry also sought Sh3.5 billion for upgrading headquarters. Juma said the situation subjects the ministry to pending bills.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also failed to secure Sh500 million to cushion it against foreign exchange shocks. It did not receive Sh380 million for vehicles to be used by visiting diplomats.
Juma told the Defence and Foreign Relations Committee that the ministry should not be viewed to be engaging in ‘luxurious’ spending.
The CS said the budget cuts will adversely affect the ministry’s operations and plans to finish works on the established missions and to develop others.
It has been allocated Sh1.9 billion for development. “We won’t see the growth we aspire for if we don’t spread our wings.”
“Is Sh15 billion what we need to comparing to countries of our size and countries of our size? We are underfunded as a ministry,” she said.
During the committee sitting, lawmakers questioned why the ministry intended to spend Sh2.35 billion for campaigns for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for the 2021-2022 period.
Saboti MP Caleb Amisi said the ministry needs to state the economic gains of such an allocation.
The CS defended the request saying it will position Kenya as a key player in the global politics for th country’s economic gain.
At the same time, the MFA failed to secure Sh2 billion for construction of a Foreign Affairs Academy; Sh3 billion for a diplomatic enclave, Sh750 million for the Kigali mission, and Sh600 million for Bujumbura.
The ministry also sought Sh650 million for buying a chancery offices for UN Habitat, Sh2 billion for purchase of chancery and Vienna ambassador’s residence, Sh350 million for Uganda, Sh1.15 billion for purchase of New York ambassador’s residence, Sh600 million for government owned properties in Kinshasa.
Also not funded in the current BPS is a Sh400 million for Brussels envoy, Sh600 million for South Sudan as well as Sh450 million for security upgrade at missions abroad.
“The funding base as is now, poses difficulties in executing the objective of foreign missions,” Juma told the committee chaired by Katoo ole Metito.
She further lamented lack of funds to cushion the ministry from foreign exchange shocks and bank transactions, the same amounting to about Sh500 million in a financial year.
The CS protested calls for closure of unproductive diplomatic missions, such as the one in Dublin, saying such an action would have serious ramifications.
“We have 120 missions in Nairobi. Under the principle of reciprocity, we should have a similar number. Currently, we only have 56,” Juma said.
MPs also criticised the ministry over unnecessary spending by officials who travel to countries that have full-fledged ambassadors.
Juma defended her team saying there are certain events that require officials from Nairobi to attend as the ambassadors assigned there can only meet desk officers.
“You can’t execute foreign policy from Nairobi. There are those that ambassadors can do but there are others that require I travel – sometimes with the president,” she said.
Juma told MPs that a number of foreign affairs officials cannot be deployed to other missions owing to lack of funds. A request for Sh450 million was shot down by the Treasury.