The National Assembly Committee on Sports and Culture has rejected the Sh150 million request by the State Department for Culture, Arts and Heritage to relocate staff at Bomas of Kenya.
The committee, chaired by Webuye West MP Dan Wanyama dismissed the request as unnecessary and a potential avenue for misuse of public funds.
The committee further questioned the lack of a detailed breakdown of how the amount will be spent.
“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?” Wanyama posed.
The state department had sought the funds to facilitate the temporary movement of employees to allow for the planned facelift of the facility.
Principal Secretary Ummi Bashir, who was presenting the 2025 Budget Policy Statement, explained that the reconstruction of Bomas of Kenya was being funded by a donor, and staff relocation was necessary to facilitate the project.
“Relocation of staff to new temporary offices as the construction works would be going on requires Sh150 million.
“We request the Committee to intervene and have the money allocated to the department to fund the process,” she said.
The PS told the committee that the department had been allocated Sh3.54 billion for the Financial Year 2025-2026 against its requirement of Sh5.98 billion.
“The allocation consists of Sh3.45 billion for recurrent expenditure and Sh90 million for development,” Bashir explained.
Suba South MP Caroli Omondi, who sits in the committee said the contractor undertaking the Bomas of Kenya facelift should cover relocation costs.
“Whoever won the tender for the reconstruction of Bomas of Kenya should undertake the relocation of staff at his expense,” Omondi said.
Committee members criticised the department’s decision to allocate only a small portion of its budget to development.
“Why allocate Sh90 million out of more than Sh3 billion for development? What are your priorities as a department?” Teso South MP Mary Emaase asked.
Bashir further told the committee that the Treasury had also failed to allocate the Sh50 million requested for the establishment of a Heroes Fund to honour national heroes like the late broadcaster Leonard Mambo Mbotela.
