This archive report was first published on 19 December 2019.
As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, it is disheartening to learn that Kenya lacks title deeds for several foreign properties, including a Sh1.4 billion embassy in Tokyo, Japan.
According to reports, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has admitted that Kenya has no title documents for 13 of its foreign properties spread across the world.
Quick action is needed to secure the crucial documents, as callous treatment of the matter risks losing properties bought with taxpayers' money.
The law requires that a complete fixed asset register is maintained, detailing all properties outside Kenya's borders.
The register should be given to the Auditor-General at the time of audit, as MPs have demanded, to ensure that properties have been secured.
By owning properties abroad, the government could save a significant amount of money currently spent on recurrent expenditure in the form of rentals and lease charges.
However, with the status of current holdings in doubt due to the lack of ownership documents, there is little confidence that new acquisitions would be done appropriately.
