This archive report was first published on 19 December 2019.
Kenya's foreign properties have been shrouded in controversy, with a parliamentary team revealing that the country lacks title documents for 13 of its properties abroad.
According to a report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the government does not have original title documents for properties owned by Kenya in nine countries, with some properties registered in foreign languages.
Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Macharia Kamau, confirmed that government-owned properties in seven other countries were documented in foreign languages, while four properties were registered in third parties' names.
The disputed properties are located in various countries, including Bujumbura (Burundi), Juba (South Sudan), Islamabad (Pakistan), Beijing (China), and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).
Others are in London (Britain), Rome (Italy), Khartoum (Sudan), Stockholm (Sweden), Paris (France), Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), Kampala (Uganda), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Hague (Netherlands), Tokyo (Japan), and New York (USA).
Notably, the government of China does not issue title deeds since land belongs to the government, as stated in a report on the audited financial statements for the year 2016/17.
The committee also observed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not have an asset register, as required by the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act of 2015.
However, the Ministry is in the process of preparing the Assets register, and the matter remains unresolved.
Parliament directed Ambassador Kamau to ensure that a complete fixed asset register is maintained, pursuant to Regulation 143(1) of the Public Finance Management (PFM) (National Government) Regulations 2015.
Furthermore, the register should be availed to the Auditor-General at the time of audit if requested.
Interestingly, the government of Kenya does not own any property in Geneva, but it has embarked on purchasing a chancery this financial year.
It is hoped that in the subsequent financial years, the residence for the permanent representative and deputy will be procured.
Geneva is a complex and multilateral station, with diverse but interrelated nature of United Nations agencies, programmes, and international organisations dealing with various issues.
Given the permanency of Kenya's presence in Geneva, it would be prudent for the government to consider procuring and owning property to reduce recurrent expenditure.
Since the establishment of the Mission in Geneva in 1985, the government has spent Sh2 billion for rent to date.
Moreover, the government of Kenya owns five properties in New York, including a Chancery, Ambassador's Residence, and three residential houses.
The MPs said owning property in our Missions abroad would save the government a lot of money spent on recurrent expenditure in the form of rentals and lease charges.
