Kenya, Spain Diplomatic Relations at Stake over Unsettled KSh 1.2 Billion Dam Project Debt

 

The unresolved debt was accrued 10 years ago for the construction of a multipurpose dam at the lower Ewaso Ngiro by a Spanish company, TYPSA. According to a report by CitizenTV, the Embassy of Spain has reached out to various government entities in Kenya, urging them to settle the outstanding bills. Letters from the Embassy of Spain A letter from the Spain Ambassador to Kenya highlighted the prolonged delay in payment and expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of progress on the matter. Subscribe to watch new videos The ambassador emphasised that the issue not only jeopardises future investments in Kenya but also impacts the country's reputation on the international stage. “The Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain presents its complaints to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kenya and has the honour to forward herewith a letter from Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to Kenya,” read a letter to the Treasury. "Despite the many efforts taken by the company and this embassy to collect the outstanding payments, we still have not received any way forward on the issue," the Embassy of Spain wrote to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The matter was also raised during the Kenya-Spain joint business forum in Madrid, where Minister for Foreign Affairs Jose Albares Bueno highlighted the pending bills owed to Spanish companies in Kenya. Kenya struggling with pending bills The Kenyan government, grappling with a total national pending bills figure of Ksh.600 billion, has cited an ongoing verification process by the pending bill's committee chaired by former Auditor General Edward Ouko. The unresolved financial issues were deemed to have broader implications, potentially affecting the willingness of foreign entities to invest in Kenya. The government is keen on resolving the issue to avoid substantial penalties and to safeguard its relationships with international partners. Kenya's diplomatic relations with East African partners In other related news, eyebrows were raised following the failure of neighbouring presidents to show up at Jamhuri Day celebrations held on December 12 at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi. With the warm partnerships and camaraderie that the EAC nations share, it is customary for heads of state to grace each other's major national occasions, like the Jamhuri Day fete. Contrary to this habitual script, all eight presidents in the EAC regional bloc were conspicuously missing from the event. However, they opted to send their representatives. 

by  Elijah Ntongai