The State Department for Culture, the Arts and Heritage, PS Ummi Bashir
Mps in the Committee of Sports and Culture has rejected a request to allocate Ksh150 million for the relocation of staff at the Bomas of Kenya to facilitate renovations.
The accounting officer for the State Department for Culture, Arts, and Heritage, Ummi Bashir, sought funding despite not having identified a temporary workspace.
“Relocation of staff to new temporary offices as the construction works would be going on requires Ksh150 million. We request the Committee to intervene and have the money allocated to the department to fund the process.”
Bashir stated that the reconstruction of Bomas of Kenya was being funded by a donor and not the government.
The request received harsh rejection, rubbishing it and terming it misplaced and possibly an avenue for mismanagement and embezzlement of public funds.
The Dan Wanyama led-team questioned the request.
“The amount you requested was too much. Have you identified offices where you want to move your staff to? What is the breakdown of the relocation exercise?”
Suba South MP Caroli Omondi proposed that the company awarded the tender to refurbish Bomas of Kenya should also cover the relocation costs.
“Whoever won the tender for reconstructing Bomas of Kenya should undertake the relocation of staff at their expense,” he noted.
The principal secretary was pressed to explain how the department had utilized funds allocated by the National Treasury.
“The allocation amount consists of Ksh3.45 billion for recurrent expenditure and Ksh90 million for development,” she explained.
Ummi lamented that even national heroes, such as legendary broadcaster Leonard Mambo Mbotela, could not be honored, as the Treasury had also rejected a request to allocate Ksh50 million to establish the Heroes Fund.
The State Department of Sports had received an additional Ksh122 million beyond its initial request for the 2024/2025 financial totaling allocation to approximately Ksh1.5 billion.
According to Sports Cabinet Secretary Peter Tum, Ksh72 million of this amount was allocated to the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya, while the remaining Ksh50 million was directed to the Kenya Academy of Sports.