NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 12 – It has now emerged that the Vihiga County Government is the one that has opened an office in Germany, causing uproar in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has raised concern over actions by county officials abroad.
The Governor is understood to have opened an office and appointed an officer as an International and Investment Liaison officer through a letter dated April 15, 2013.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry in a letter seen by Capital FM News, said it was worried that actions by county government officials may end up undermining the “interests and image” of Kenya abroad.
“In some instance, a county has already opened a Representative Office abroad and gone ahead to make commitments that could have serious ramifications,” the letter said. The concerns were contained in a letter to Principal Secretaries in key government ministries by Ambassador E. M Barine who is the Director, Liaison (Parliamentary and County Affairs).
The ministry wants a proper machismo established, through which county government officials will be following whenever their officials are travelling abroad.
“The message taken out there, including on investment facilities, funding for county projects could erode the credibility Kenya has built over a long period as a trusted investment destination,” the letter states, while at the same time calling for urgent measures to address the matter.
It warned that although most of the trips are modelled around investment opportunities, they could easily dent Kenya’s image due to poor coordination.
County governments have been taking delegations to foreign countries on trips, some funded by tax payer’s money, while others are reported to have been footed by political parties or their affiliates abroad.
Capital FM News was unable to reach Vihiga Governor Moses Akaranga to comment on the matter.
The Foreign Ministry says it has received disturbing reports touching on the activities and/or conduct of some County Government delegations which may in the end undermine the interests and image of not only their own, but that of missions and the entire government in enhancing relations and promotion of investment.
“While the ministry may not have recorded of all these visits and their output, it seems they are touristic in nature,” the confidential letter also sent to the Solicitor General and Comptroller of Budget states.
The ministry wants urgent measures taken to develop “some guidelines to deal with the issue”.
In some cases cited, the ministry says, it has had to deal with what it describes as “disturbing actions” by county government officials whenever they travel abroad without the knowledge of missions or embassies which are supposed to coordinate such trips.
The huge number of delegations taken abroad at any one time by the county governments is another issue of concern to the ministry.
“The sheer number including up to 70 persons on a study/benchmarking visit is contemptible to the host,” the ministry notes, adding that in most cases embassies and missions abroad are notified it is already too late.
Source-capitalfm.co.ke
Vihiga County Opens Office in Germany, Appoints Liaison Officer
