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Museums are mismanaged, says Kibunjia

By  JOHN NGIRACHU

What you need to know:

  • Dr Kibunjia told the Public Investments Committee that the parastatal has a debt of Sh800 million and has had perennial poor record-keeping, resulting in numerous audit queries.
  • He cited Mombasa’s Fort Jesus, which has been declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unicef), saying it needs Sh100 million for repairs and maintenance but was only allocated Sh20 million.

The National Museums of Kenya is headed towards insolvency, its new Director-General Mzalendo Kibunjia has said.

Dr Kibunjia told the Public Investments Committee that the parastatal has a debt of Sh800 million and has had perennial poor record-keeping, resulting in numerous audit queries.

“We’re facing unprecedented problems. Unless we get a rescue package, we’ll be on our knees soon,” Dr Kibunjia told the committee chaired by Eldas MP Adan Keynan.

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He said some of the donors the parastatal used to rely on to keep historical sites going and run projects have blacklisted it because of mismanagement of the funds provided over the years.

This has resulted in lack of funds that would have completed the annual allocations from the government.

He cited Mombasa’s Fort Jesus, which has been declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), saying it needs Sh100 million for repairs and maintenance but was only allocated Sh20 million.

“Fort Jesus is almost going into the ocean,” Dr Kibunjia declared.

Dr Kibunjia and the team from NMK were meeting the PIC to respond to audit queries from the 2001/2002 financial year to the latest one from the year 2012/2013.

The issues ranged from failure to survey and ascertain the correct value of NMK land, failure to account for project funds, irregular procurement of goods and services and failure to remit statutory deductions such as Pay As You Earn.

The NMK team was given two weeks to put its papers in order and respond to the queries raised by the Auditor-General.

“The CEO is owning up that the organisation is technically and financially insolvent,” said Mr Keynan.

He said Dr Kibunjia should come up with better ways of managing NMK, which would include taking over sites that could generate income such as the tomb of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya’s founding President, at Parliament Buildings.

Chuka/Igambang’ombe MP Muthomi Njuki is reported to have drafted a motion for approval by the House to make that possible.

“Anywhere in the world, such a thing as the tomb of a country’s founding father should generate a lot of income,” said Mr Keynan.

***

Correction: July 28, 2015

The story has been updated to change "Unicef" to "Unesco".