Sh300m for State lodge

The little used Sagana State Lodge near Nyeri is to be upgraded – at a cost of more than Sh300 million.

It is enough money to transform Sagana, which stands in nearly nine acres, into one of the most modern and prestigious State lodges in the country.

Fixtures and finishes will be of the highest quality, according to an official in the ministry of Roads and Public Works.

The lodge will be modernised and new buildings will include guesthouses, an office block and other offices. In addition, driveways, walls and fences will be upgraded and new quarters will be put up to house Presidential guards and security officers.

The lodge is near Murang'a and the President has in the past used it during his infrequent visits to his home area.

Upgrading the lodge began last year when the Government allocated the project Sh100 million under the State House budget, through Development Vote 251.

This financial year, it has been allocated a further Sh214 million, bringing the total to Sh314 million.

The head of the Presidential Press Service, Mr Isaiyah Kabira, confirmed the development but said he did not have details of the project's scope, its completion date and the amount involved.

He also confirmed President Kibaki had visited the lodge while its reconstruction was taking place. 

"The construction is ongoing but I don’t have details with me," Mr Kabira said.

Disclosure of the amount of money allocated for Sagana State Lodge comes soon after queries about the Sh224 million being spent on an official residence for the Vice-President, at Karen, Nairobi, which is due to be completed in January. 

The Public Works official described the Sagana upgrading as bigger project than the VP's new home.

The VP's new official house in Karen is a five-bedroom bungalow complete with a swimming pool, sauna and gym.

Also to be built there is a paved parking area for 15 vehicles, a gazebo and a guesthouse to accommodate visiting dignitaries, expected to include presidents and prime ministers.

The house will have high-class finishes throughout besides offering Kenya's VP an office wing, a residential wing and two banqueting halls.

The design contract for the even more expensive Sagana State Lodge project was given to a private firm, Planning Systems Services, and construction is being carried out by Lalji Meghji Construction, according to the ministry official. 

But the money set aside for Sagana seems to have escaped the scrutiny of MPs for two consecutive years. 

A plan to spend Sh100 million for a new Presidential home at State House, Nairobi, seems to have been quietly shelved after it sparked an uproar in Parliament last year. 

The Government had allocated the money, saying there was need to have a separate residential wing for the President and his family, leaving the main building for offices and official functions. 

President Kibaki is the first Kenyan Head of State to live in State House, Nairobi, the official Presidential home.

His predecessor, Mr Daniel arap Moi, on becoming President in 1978, opted to remain at what was previously the official residence of the Vice-President at Kabarnet Gardens, Nairobi. 

Retirement package

After stepping down as President, in 2002, Mr Moi was allowed by the Narc Government to remain at Kabarnet Gardens as part of his retirement package. The house remains Government property, however. 

The late President Kenyatta also never lived at State House. Instead he stayed at his home in Gatundu, although he spent extended periods, referred to as "working holidays" at the Mombasa and Nakuru state houses. 

The allocation for Sagana State Lodge is the highest amount of all state houses and lodges in the country. While Mombasa State House received Sh15 million for routine maintenance, Nakuru did not get any money.

Kakamega and Eldoret state lodges were each given Sh8 million for maintenance while Kisumu received Sh4 million. This year, no provision was been made for the three lodges, even for maintenance.

The amount of money allocated to Sagana State Lodge surpasses that agreed for State House, Nairobi, last financial year and this year.

Last year, Nairobi State House was allocated Sh60 million which went to the completion of new quarters for the President’s security detail. This year Sh30 million is allocated for construction.

Under President Kibaki, who unlike his predecessor does not travel much, the only state house or lodge outside Nairobi that is used regularly is Mombasa, where Mr Kibaki maintained the tradition of Presidential Christmases there.

The only time Mr Kibaki held a public function at Sagana State Lodge was during the Easter holidays of 2004 when he addressed a goodwill delegation of leaders from Nyeri district.

Kenya has three State Houses, the main one at Nairobi, then Mombasa and Nakuru. 

Besides Sagana, Eldoret, Kakamega and Kisumu, there are numerous other state lodges spread across the country. They include Mtito Andei, Malindi, Rumuruti, Kitale, Eldoret, and Kakamega.

Many of them are in various states of disuse, while some remain controversial. Rumuruti, for example, is built on land registered in the name of an individual rather than the Government.