Kenya earmarks Sh453m to rebuild vandalised Kinshasa mission property

Kenya faces a bill of Sh452.9 million to complete the rehabilitation and redevelopment of government-owned properties in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including the diplomatic mission's chancery that was vandalised during violent protests in January 2025.

The State Department for Foreign Affairs reported that it had spent Sh147.1 million of the Sh600 million project by last June, representing 24.5 per cent completion, according to its latest budgetary review. The ministry spent Sh120 million on repairing and upgrading the Kinshasa properties in the year ended June, while Sh27.1 million was absorbed in the previous year.

"The Mission was attacked during the recent political riots in the host country where the Chancery was vandalised. Rehabilitation of the Chancery, estimated at Sh120 million, is ongoing," the ministry said in the report submitted to the National Treasury.

A further Sh150 million has been allocated to diplomatic properties in the DRC in the current fiscal year ending June 2027 for new staff houses and chancery renovations, rising to a proposed Sh250 million in the year starting July. The staff houses are intended to cut rental spending, while the additional funding will support renovation of the chancery and redevelopment of the ambassador's residence.

The spending comes after Nairobi said Kinshasa would assess the damage from the January 2025 attack and compensate Kenya for losses at its embassy. Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said at the time that the attacks happened in the full glare of DRC security officers who took no action, and that the Congolese foreign minister had committed to assess and compensate the Kenyan government.

The ministry's latest budgetary review does not indicate whether the promised compensation has been paid, agreed or factored into the ongoing works, leaving unclear whether Kenya will recover any of the costs from the Congolese government.