Financial implication of shuttle diplomacy

By Lillian Aluanga

The financial implication of Kenya’s efforts to have the ICC case deferred has come under scrutiny amid mounting calls to have the shuttle diplomacy mission called off.

In a heightened campaign to have the case against six suspected masterminds of the 2007 post-election violence deferred, President Kibaki last week appointed a six-member team to lobby member states to the UN Security Council on the issue.

Besides VP Kalonzo Musyoka, others in the team are Dr Sally Kosgei (Agriculture), Njeru Githae (Metropolitan), George Saitoti (Internal Security), Hellen Sambili (East Africa Community) and Foreign Affairs Assistant Minister Richard Onyonka.

Round one of the diplomatic mission saw Mr Kalonzo visit several nations including South Africa, Malawi, Libya, Ethiopia and Nigeria. Kalonzo, in response to questions raised in Parliament over the costs of the mission, pegged it at Sh31m, a figure which sources privy to the details allege could have been Sh10 million higher.

The latest round of diplomacy efforts is now being pegged at over Sh60 million – a sum which could see at least three constituencies get new health centres, or have at least 20 constituencies hire additional nurses. According to the 2009/2010 budget, Sh500,000 was to be allocated to each constituency for buying motorcycles and bicycles for health workers, which translates to at least 120 constituencies benefiting from such services. On matters education, at least 10 constituencies would have benefited from the additional hiring of primary school teachers.

Questions have been raised on the rationale behind lobbying non-permanent members to the UN Security Council given that decisions on substantive matters need at least nine votes, including concurring votes of the five permanent states – US, UK, France, China and Russia. Non-permanent members include India, Portugal, Lebanon, South Africa, Nigeria and Brazil who are on the radar of those targeted by the Kenyan delegation.

Already the US, UK and France have made it clear they will not support Kenya’s bid.

"New York is one of the world’s most expensive cities. The delegation will have to have its accommodation, food and travel expenses met which amounts to millions of taxpayers monies," says human rights lawyer Harun Ndubi.

Some estimates have shown that first class plane tickets may cost the taxpayer up to Sh500,000 per person with an equally high figure spent on accommodation at about Sh40,000 per night. A similar amount of money would comfortably be used to buy at least five motorcycles and 30 bicycles for healthcare workers in a constituency.

"Top officials within the delegation like ministers and PSs earn a daily allowance of not less than $500 (Sh42,500) a day when visiting some of these places," says former Mandera Central MP Billow Kerrow.

This excludes other allowances for expenses which may be incurred during the trips, including those of support staff accompanying top Government officers.

So where is the money coming from?

"We cannot rule out the fact that the monies been reallocated from other expenditure votes given that this was not factored in the last budget," says Kerrow.