Bomas Of Kenya Has Not Been Sold: Govt

The government has issued a statement in response to outrage from claims that the Bomas of Kenya had been sold to a foreign investor.

The claims were made on Sunday, March 9, by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who alleged that the facility had been auctioned to a Turkish national, adding that the Cabinet had approved the sale despite his objections when he was the second-in-command.

In the statement issued on Monday, March 10, Principal Secretary for the State Department for Culture and Arts, Ummi Bashir, dismissed the allegations, clarifying that the renowned national heritage site had not been sold to anyone.

Principal Secretary for the State Department for Culture and Arts, Ummi Bashir speaking during a past event. /KBC SWAHILI

"By dint of Executive Order of Government No. 2 of 2023, Bomas of Kenya was placed under the State Department for Culture, the Arts and Heritage. I am therefore shocked by the allegations made by the former Deputy President with regard to the sale of Bomas of Kenya to a Turkish national.

"The State Department for Culture, the Arts and Heritage stands to categorically refute this allegation. Bomas of Kenya has not been sold to anyone," she stated.

Bashir further debunked the claims that the ongoing transformation of Bomas of Kenya was the work of a foreign investor, adding that renovations to upgrade the facility began as far back as 2023 after approval by the Cabinet.

"The development of the Bomas International Convention Complex (BICC) was approved by Cabinet on 8th August 2023, after a Cabinet Memorandum presented by the then Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage, Hon Peninah Malonza, EGH," she added.

"The idea of refurbishing and upgrading Bomas of Kenya is not new and has been in consideration for the past 10 years. Nevertheless, it is the current administration that has given impetus to its actualization. The Bomas of Kenya has a valid title in its name, issued in 1971. This title is in the Government's custody."

The PS explained that through the BICC, the government is seeking to create a premium conferencing facility as part of a bold vision to rewrite the look, feel, and purpose of Bomas.

She outlined that the BICC will become the market leader in the region, with multiple conferencing venues that will be a quantum leap from the facilities that the country has had for the past 50 years.

"The State Department for Culture, the Arts and Heritage assures the public that Bomas of Kenya will remain a Government facility. Its ownership shall not change, as it is held in trust on behalf of the People of the Republic of Kenya for posterity," added the PS.