Sh33m facelift for Kenya PM Raila Odinga’s homes: What happens in future when Kenya gets a new PM? – will public funds be used to renovate his private homes also or the new PM will take over Present PM’s renovated homes?
Posted by africanpress on July 14, 2009
ADVICE from a concerned Kenyan: Submitted by ensoko
Kenya never ceases to amaze me.That is why we are a failed state.How can the taxpayer pay for so much to renovate a private residence.He is not a permanent holder of that office. Short term fixes will not do.What needs to be done is build a permanent residence maintained and owned by the state for all future PMs.With goodwill and less corruption ,that can be done in a year or even less.
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Sh33m facelift for Kenya PM homes
By JOHN NGIRACHU
In Summary
- Money will go into staffing the PM’s residences to enable him to host State functions and visitors.
- Allocation will also go into providing for additional security and surveillance equipment at the residences as well as additional domestic staff.
The private residence of Kenya Prime Minister Raila Odinga will be renovated at a cost of Sh33.4 million.
The money has already been allocated towards the office of the Prime Minister and is Sh6 million more than was spent on the same expense in the 2008/2009 financial year, which ended last month.
According to officials from the PM’s office who spoke before the departmental committee on administration and national security on Monday, the money will go into staffing the PM’s residences to enable him to host State functions and visitors.
Commensurate
“His current residence in Nairobi and another in Mombasa are being rehabilitated so that State guests going there can get treatment commensurate to the Prime Minister’s status,” said Mr Khang’ati, an Assistant minister in the PM’s office.
He said the allocation would go into providing for additional security and surveillance equipment at the residences as well as additional domestic staff.
It does not include the cost for hospitality, that is, the cost of feeding and entertaining the visitors.
Printed estimates
Mr Khang’ati defended the allocation at the meeting after Makueni MP Peter Kiilu raised the query at the committee’s examination of the printed estimates for the PM’s office.
He claimed it was ’significantly less’ than that for the vice-president and State House.
Currently, the PM and the VP do not have official State residences and rarely host official government functions.
Mr Odinga currently resides at Karen in Nairobi.
According to the presentations at the meeting, the allocation is expected to increase to Sh55 million in the 2010/2011 financial year and to top Sh77 million in the last financial year of the coalition government.
By the end of the current term of Parliament, Sh192.8 million will have been spent in the rehabilitation of the PM’s residence.
Mr Odinga is the second Prime Minister in post-colonial Kenya, the first having been President Jomo Kenyatta, who served as PM between 1963 and 1964, when Kenya became a republic.
Sh700 million
The government has already spent Sh700 million for the acquisition of Shell and BP House on Harambee Avenue to host the PM’s office and departments that fall under him.
According to Mr Khang’ati, the refurbishment of the building is at the design and planning stage with the ministry of Public Works as tenants whose leases had not expired move out.
He said the PM’s offices on the second floor are expected to be ready for occupation in three months’ time.
source.nation.ke
africanpress said
Look at what concerned Kenyans are saying about the developments above:
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Submitted by Daniel08
Posted juli 14, 2009 11:02 AM
I am a Kenyan in the UK. If I recall right, Kenya is suffering from an Economic down turn, our growth and development is one of the worst in our economic history. The coalition government has had no real tangible benefit, but has served only as a liability to taxpayers. The displaced victims of the election violence have never been compensated, yet our PM is getting his personal residence renovated at 33M to hold function that can be hosted elsewhere. I am ashamed to mention where I come from.
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Submitted by Denali
Posted juli 14, 2009 08:40 AM
Don’t fall for the bait Hon. Raila. They are gearing up to finish your good reputation in Kenya so that come 2012 you won’t be able to claim that you are a reformer. If you fall for this crazy offer at the tax payers expense, then you can kiss my vote good bye. My friends are saying the same thing. DON’T! Kibaki now looks good after returning the vehicles and firing 5 of his staff and Raila wants 33 million for personal use. Can anybody see the contrast here.
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Submitted by olegaita66
Posted juli 14, 2009 07:50 AM
This is ridiculous,isn’t this the same guy commending Obama about his comments on bad governance? Taxpayer’s money being allocated to his private residences,this is arrogance of the highest order.It is clear that Raila’s desire to be a top leader emanates from his love for grandeur rather than the substance that is tied to leadership.
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Submitted by ensoko
Posted juli 13, 2009 11:28 PM
Kenya never ceases to amaze me.That is why we are a failed state.How can the taxpayer pay for so much to renovate a private residence.He is not a permanent holder of that office.Short term fixes will not do.What needs to be done is build a permanent residence maintained and owned by the state for all future PMs.With goodwill and less corruption ,that can be done in a year or even less.