By Our Reporter
A section of legislators has questioned the UGX 4.5 billion allocated by the Ugandan government to renovate Uganda House in Nairobi, Kenya, arguing that Kenyan authorities should bear the cost since the building was set ablaze during the June 2024 protests by Kenyan citizens.
The concerns arose during a meeting between Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 21, 2025, where officials were responding to queries raised in the December 2024 Auditor General’s report.
Vincent Bagiire, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, revealed that although both Kenyan President William Ruto and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi wrote letters expressing regret over the incident, they made no commitment to finance the renovations.
“What happened was, we thought the Kenyan Government would take on the responsibility of renovating the building. We wrote to them and received letters of regret from both President Ruto and Prime Cabinet Secretary Mudavadi, but they offered no indication of bearing the repair costs. We also requested a security report, which is yet to be provided. As such, we appropriated UGX 4.5 billion in the budget to commence renovations, as the building was a source of non-tax revenue,” Bagiire explained.
His response followed an inquiry by Mawogola South MP Gorreth Namugga, who sought an update on the state of the building and the financial implications. “Can you give us an update on the Nairobi building—how far have you gone with the renovation? How much is required, and how much did we spend initially to construct it? We need all documentation, from the time the building was constructed, through the fire incident, to the current contract balances,” she said.
According to Auditor General Edward Akol, the fire, which engulfed the six-storey commercial facility, severely damaged the ground floor and spread to three other levels. Notably, the building had just undergone UGX 28 billion worth of renovations and was scheduled to be reopened the day after the fire.
Bagiire noted that initial repair estimates stood at UGX 7 billion, later revised to UGX 5.5 billion, and eventually UGX 4.5 billion, which is the current figure. “The building wasn’t constructed anew—it was renovated at a cost of UGX 24 billion,” he clarified.
However, Kumi Municipality MP Silas Aogon questioned why the government was not pursuing legal compensation from Kenya. “Why are we shying away from legal action? Uganda had no role in the riots. We invested resources, and now all we get is a letter of regret. Why are we, a smaller economy, essentially bailing out Kenya?” Aogon asked.
Butambala County MP Muwanga Kivumbi criticized the government for failing to maintain insurance on the property, especially given its prime location in Nairobi’s central business district. “It’s risky to own such a high-value property without comprehensive insurance. How can the Ugandan government invest so much without insuring it?”
In response, Bagiire said the building had insurance coverage during construction, but once the contractor completed the renovations, the insurer denied liability. “The contractor had taken out an insurance policy during the renovation period. We wrote to the insurance company, but they later declined responsibility. We referred the matter to the Solicitor General, who concurred with their position,” Bagiire said.
The Committee also expressed concerns about what they described as targeted attacks on Ugandan properties abroad, citing both the Nairobi incident and the destruction of Uganda’s Mission in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Victoria Nekesa, the UPDF representative in Parliament, asked whether any suspects had been arrested in connection with the Nairobi attack, while Aogon inquired whether the DRC government had pledged to fund repairs for Uganda’s mission there.
“Our troops once crossed into DRC, and we’re now paying over UGX 1 trillion in compensation. So, what are we doing to ensure that other governments also account for damages to our properties?” Aogon posed.
Bagiire clarified that, unlike Kenya, the DRC government acknowledged the damage to Uganda’s mission in Kinshasa and asked for an assessment report, which has been submitted and is awaiting a formal response.
“Under the Geneva Convention, host states are obligated to repair diplomatic missions. The mission in Kinshasa qualifies under this provision, unlike Uganda House in Nairobi, which is a commercial property. The DRC authorities requested an assessment, which we conducted and submitted. We await their response on the next steps,” Bagiire said.
He also dismissed claims that the attacks were exclusively targeted at Ugandan interests. “On the day Uganda House in Nairobi was attacked, so was the Kenyan Parliament, City Hall, and other buildings. In DRC, several embassies—including those of Brussels, Kenya, Rwanda, the U.S., and France—were also targeted.”
