An audit report has revealed the sorry state of Kenyan embassy staff houses in Mikocheni, a plush neighbourhood which hosts staff of the mission in Tanzania.
In her report, Auditor General Nancy Gathungu reveals that two staff houses in the prime area of Dar-es-Salaam lack a fence around them, exposing the members of staff and the land itself to encroachment and access by members of the public.
A spot check by the auditor equally disclosed that renovation works done to the houses which had cost some Ksh3.4 million shillings could be lost since the repair stalled four years ago in 2020.
“Further, the Mission had 2 staff houses in Mikocheni whose renovations stalled in the year 2020. A site visit revealed that the houses were in a prime location but they had dilapidated over time and the gains from the renovations which were valued at over Tshs.68,470,000 (approximately Kshs.3,400,000) may have been lost,” Gathungu states.
Ksh20M unremitted
Equally, a review of the Mission’s records revealed that a residential house belonging to one of the agencies was sold in December 2021 for a sum of Tsh425,000,000 (Ksh20M) as per the Sales Agreement between the buyer and the Kenyan High Commission in Dar es Salaam.
However, the sales proceeds amounting to Ksh20M were still being held in a deposits account at the Mission and no explanation was provided for the failure to remit the sales proceeds to the State Department for Foreign Affairs for onward transmission to the exchequer.
Gathungu also notes that the sorry state of other Kenyan missions across the world may have cost the country reputational damage as several were reported to have cracked walls and leaking roofs.
Kenya’s High Commission in Abuja was found to have leaking roofs in the Chancery Building. The High Commissioner’s residence and staff houses were also dilapidated with the roofs needing urgent renovation.
Stolen mission car in Nigeria
The report also noted that a mission vehicle which was stolen in Nigeria in 2022 was yet to be traced and accounted for.
Also, the mission in China which houses the ambassador’s residence was found to be unmanned by guards and lacked CCTV cameras for monitoring activities within the building. The building also lacked smoke detectors and a vehicle belonging to the mission was grounded.
A similar state was observed in Kenya’s mission in Berlin, Germany where there were cracked walls and leaking roofs.
“Physical inspection of the Kenya Mission building in Berlin revealed defects such as damaged roof and leakages at the attic terrace balcony, cracks on the walls, the gate’s hydraulic and locking system, the verandah, the exterior ceiling on the first floor damaged and paint peeling all-round the building among other defects,” the report noted.
The report equally noted that the mission in Paris, France also had their buildings with visible cracks as well as leaking roofs.
“Physical verification of the chancery and review of the State Department for Public Works assessment and inspection report of Kenya’s Chancery in Paris revealed major cracks on the wall of the chancery running from the ground floor to the third floor. There was also evidence of basement and yard flooding, ceiling leaks and peeling wall paint,” the report observed.
