Kenyans are opening consulates in Somalia and Somaliland

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

State to spend Sh2bn in new missions

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Planning PS Eng. Peter Mangiti (right) with PSC chairperson Prof. Margaret Kobia during a past event. Mr Mangiti says Foreign Affairs intends to spend Sh20 million to promote Nairobi. Photo/FILE

Planning PS Eng. Peter Mangiti (right) with PSC chairperson Prof. Margaret Kobia during a past event. Mr Mangiti says Foreign Affairs intends to spend Sh20 million to promote Nairobi. Photo/FILE Nation Media Group

 

By EDWIN MUTAI

 

Posted Sunday, November 24 2013 at 18:00

IN SUMMARY

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade has budgeted the money in the next financial year starting July 2014 to open eight new missions and six new consulates in Africa

The new chanceries will be based in Cuba, Algeria, Morocco, Angola, Ghana, Malawi, Senegal and Djibouti while the consulates will be located in Arusha, Lagos, Goma, Garowe, Hargeisa and Kismayu

The ministry requires a total of Sh5.8 billion, with a significant chunk of the resources going to foreign travel

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Kenya will spend Sh2 billion to open and operationalise new chanceries and consulates in various strategic regions of the world in its quest to expand the country’s diplomatic presence.

 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade has budgeted the money in the next financial year starting July 2014 to open eight new missions and six new consulates in Africa.

 

The new chanceries will be based in Cuba, Algeria, Morocco, Angola, Ghana, Malawi, Senegal and Djibouti while the consulates will be located in Arusha, Lagos, Goma, Garowe, Hargeisa and Kismayu.

 

The ministry requires a total of Sh5.8 billion, with a significant chunk of the resources going to foreign travel. Officials will spend Sh200 million in articulating Kenya’s position at international, regional and multilateral forums.

 

According to the Medium Term Expenditure Framework budget for 2014/15 presented to the National Assembly Budget and Appropriation Committee on Thursday by Planning principal secretary Peter Mangiti, the ministry intends to spend Sh20 million to promote Nairobi as a hub for multilateral diplomacy and a further Sh150 million for establishment of the Kenya Fund for Technical Cooperation.

 

The ministry has also set aside Sh150 million foreign travel kitty that will cater for newly appointed ambassadors and shuttle diplomacy.

 

Training of the newly appointed ambassadors, diplomats and officers on posting will cost taxpayers Sh100 million while payment of shipment allowance for officers on recall will cost a similar amount.

 

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto are yet to fill vacant positions in the diplomatic posting following the of recall of 39 of Kenya’s 52 envoys based abroad in June.

 

The President is expected to make changes in the postings following a shift in foreign policy that favours the East as opposed to the West.

 

According to a report on diplomatic missions compiled by the Defence and Foreign Affairs committee of the 10th Parliament, Kenyans paid Sh265.1 million in rent and remuneration for 13 envoys who had either refused to return home or were held up by bureaucracy after their tours of duty ended.

[Kaluun]

Kenya is trying to catch up with Ethiopia. They realized they are losing everything to Ethiopia; agriculture dominance gone, GDP gone, regional influence gone, military gone and even in education the gap is closing. Furthermore Ethiopia is set to become the biggest energy market in the region as its set to produce 37,000 MW by 2030.

 

So Kenya is doing the catch up now in terms of Somalia and Somaliland. The Federal and decentralization of Mogadishu is at full swing. That's what I'm talking about. I support all their consulates.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

There was allot of corruption during Kibaki's reign i believe during this Uhuro admin Kenya can surpass Ethiopia on all fronts in diplomacy on manufacturing industrialization Kenya has still a higher GDP than Ethiopia. Ethiopia though is building large dams eventhough its still very poor. On Somalia and Somaliland Kenyans are new players the Ethiopians were in Somali politics since as long as i can remember. The Kenyans are quick learners they are learning from the Ethiopians to empower the differences of interests in the Somali peninsula.

[Kaluun]

Kenya is history when it comes to Ethiopia that's why it wants now pick on the much weaker Somalia. It wants to keep runners up at least and no Kenya's GDP was surpassed long time ago.

 

Kenya $37 billion (2012)

Ethiopia $43billion (2012)

 

Future projections:

 

Entitled “Investing in Ethiopia,” the report forecasts that Ethiopia’s gross domestic product (GDP) could reach USD 472 billion in 2023 with a GDP per capita of just over USD 4000.

 

And also Ethiopia is not only building the biggest dam in the region but the biggest wind and solar farms. Both dam and wind are under construction.

[guleed_ali]

File this one under the "divide and conquer Somalia" portfolio.

[thefuturenow]

guleed_ali;988538 wrote:

File this one under the "divide and conquer Somalia" portfolio.

 

Kaluun;988527 wrote:

The Federal and decentralization of Mogadishu is at full swing. That's what I'm talking about. I support all their consulates.

Aduunyo!