How Foreign Affairs budget increased to fund Raila’s failed AU bid- Treasury
The funds have been directed toward general administration, planning, support services, and foreign relations and diplomacy, including the costs incurred during Odinga’s campaign.
The Treasury has increased the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s budget by Sh1.1 billion to Sh21.1 billion in the current financial year to cover various expenses, including Raila Odinga’s unsuccessful bid for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship.
The Treasury has increased the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s budget by Sh1.1 billion to Sh21.1 billion in the current financial year to cover various expenses, including Raila Odinga’s unsuccessful bid for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship.
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According to disclosures in the recently tabled supplementary budget, the funds have been directed toward general administration, planning, support services, and foreign relations and diplomacy, including the costs incurred during Odinga’s campaign.
"The approved estimates have been revised from Sh20 billion to Sh21.1 billion under the Supplementary Estimates No. II. This reflects an increase of Sh1.1 billion," the Treasury said in its disclosures.
"The overall change is on account of an increase in Appropriations-In-Aid and additional funding to cater for the shortfall in personnel emoluments and campaign activities for Kenya's candidature of the African Union Commission Chairperson."
The Treasury has not disclosed the exact amount spent on Odinga’s AU bid, including travel, accommodation, and other expenses incurred during the campaign period.
Odinga, the former prime minister, announced his candidacy for the AUC chairmanship in February 2023 and spent months traversing different countries to garner support. He lost the election on February 15 to Djibouti’s Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, after visiting at least 27 countries in his campaign efforts.
Odinga, who led in the first and second rounds trailed Mahmoud in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth rounds leading to his elimination ahead of the 7th round which saw the Djiboutian candidate contest alone.
It was during the seventh round that Mahmoud garnered the requisite 33 votes to clinch the seat.
A review of the additional funding to the Foreign Affairs Ministry reveals that Sh866.8 million was allocated to general administration and support services, while the management of Kenya’s missions abroad received an extra Sh189.1 million.
The Sh1.1 billion increase comprises Sh922.97 million for recurrent expenses and Sh132.9 million in Appropriations-In-Aid (AIA). Recurrent expenses, which include salaries, payments for general administration and planning, management of foreign policy, diplomatic representation, and international organisations, rose by Sh922.97 million.
Additionally, foreign relations and diplomacy received an extra Sh106.1 million, pushing the total allocation from Sh17.12 billion to Sh17.22 billion.
In 2017, Kenya spent Sh437.7 million on a failed bid to secure the AUC chairmanship, backing then Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed. Her campaign, spearheaded by the then Deputy President William Ruto, now the President, ultimately fell short, with Chad’s Moussa Faki Mahamat winning after seven rounds of voting.
The Sh437.7 million expenditure was classified under a confidential budget, with the then-President Uhuru Kenyatta deploying special envoys across Africa to lobby for support.
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