MPs have summoned National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi and his Tourism and Wildlife counterpart, Rebecca Miano, over the Ksh4.5 billion required for the renovation of Bomas of Kenya.

The MPs want the duo to appear and shed light on the renovations after the two disagreed over the financing of the institution’s facelift.

While Mbadi is on record that the Tourism department set aside Ksh4.5 billion towards Bomas renovations, Miano said the institution is outside her ministry.  

Speaking when he appeared before the Budget and Appropriations Committee (BAC) to defend the ministry’s budget, Maara MP Kareke Mbiuki, who chairs the Tourism and Wildlife Committee, said his committee was forced to block the approval of the renovations until they get clarity on the matter.  

BAC has been receiving submissions on the Budget estimates

No funds

He explained that the committee was forced to make that declaration after Miano appeared before it and insisted that the institution is not within her mandate.

He said: “We have since invited the two CSs to shed light in terms of the financing of Bomas of Kenya. As we sit here, there are absolutely no funds that we have approved towards the Bomas of Kenya renovation.”

Miano, who had appeared before Mbiuki’s committee to defend her budget, revealed that Mbadi had issued the directive to ringfence the Ksh4.5 billion from the Tourism Promotion Fund (TPF).

But it is her revelation that Bomas of Kenya is a State agency under the Ministry of Gender, Culture, the Arts and Heritage, as per Executive Order No. 2 of 2023, that shocked members, prompting them to call for further scrutiny of the matter.

She said: “We received a letter from the National Treasury about the ring-fencing of the funds. I have requested the National Treasury CS for a meeting to understand the contents of the letter. Allow me to report back once I have heard from him.”

Shed light

But speaking before BAC, Mbiuki said that as of now, TPF has not been given the green light to spend any money and will only do so once they meet the two CSs.

He said: “That is why we decided to summon the two CSs to shed light on the matter. The committee will ensure that the law is followed in the transfer of funds from one ministry to another.”

He added: “Why surrender all its available resources to finance the Bomas of Kenya renovations? Was it a priority in the first place? We want to be part of history.”

Tongaren MP John Chikati said that as committee members, they had resolved to keep off the matter.

He said: “We in the Tourism and Wildlife Committee decided that we keep off the matter. This issue of cross-transfer of funds can only be done under proper guidance and through requisite documentation, like a memorandum of understanding between the two ministries. As of now, there exists none.”

The statements by Mbiuki come after the government said that the renovation works at the institution are being financed by Summa Turizm Yatirimciligi Sirketi, a Turkish firm, to the tune of Sh31.6 billion through, Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.  

The advice of the National Treasury to have the money ringfenced comes at a time when State agencies under the Tourism Department are facing financial challenges.  

For instance, the Ronald Ngala Utalii College, which is supposed to be financed with monies from TPF, has stalled for the last 15 years.

The college, located in Vipingo, Kilifi County, was meant to get the hospitality sector training load off the government-owned Nairobi’s Utalii College.

Tourism Research Institute (TRI), on the other hand, which is mandated to collect and analyse tourism statistics across the country as well as establish a tourism data portal, has also remained underfunded.

Previously, the committee has allowed TPF the leeway to spend money on projects of its choice.