The country’s image abroad is at stake following the failure by the Treasury to allocate Sh679 million to cater for subscription fees to international bodies.
A committee of the National Assembly was yesterday told that the country was facing difficulties in meeting its financial obligations to various regional bodies such as the African Union and IGAD.
Foreign affairs principal secretary Karanja Kibicho said the imposition of the 30 per cent austerity measures on hospitality has resulted into accumulation of Sh100 million pending bill in local hotels.
He told the Defense and Foreign Relations committee chaired by Tetu MP Ndungu Gethenji that the government was constrained in meeting the onuses, a factor that has progressively eroded the country’s diplomatic clout.
Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Karanja Kibicho revealed that the country owes over Sh679m in subscription bills to the regional bodies, and has on a number of occasions been barred from voting or participating in major international decisions affecting the region.“
When the president goes to some of the regional meetings, he is denied voting rights since we have not paid up,” Kibicho told the committee chaired by Tetu MP Ndungu Gethenji.
“I remember the Abuja incident where a vehicle in our convoy broke down. Such incidents do not augur well for the country’s image abroad,” he said.
The PS also made reference to the presidential trip to Moscow last year, and revealed that the president had ordered that the government purchases new vehicles for the embassy.
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