Jubilee celebrations to cost Sh500m

Jubilee celebrations will cost Sh500 million when the fete is held this December.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has named a fresh team of government officials to lead the preparations to mark the 50th anniversary of the country’s independence.

Sports, Culture and Arts Secretary Hassan Wario will chair the 19-member team.

Thursday Secretary of Communication and State House Spokesman Manoah Esipisu told a media briefing that the new budget was a major climb-down from Sh1.2 billion proposed by a committee chaired by Cabinet Secretary Francis Kimemia.

Last month President Kenyatta disbanded the committee for drawing a budget seen as extravagant and wasteful.

“Dr Wario will work with a tentative budget of Sh500 million,” Mr Esipisu told journalists at State House. The private sector was expected to chip in, he said.

Ms Saima Ondimu has been named the executive director of the secretariat.

Cabinet secretaries Joseph ole Lenku (Interior), Davies Chirchir (Energy and Petroleum), Phylis Kandie (Commerce and Tourism) and Fred Matiangi (Information and Communication) have also been co-opted into the new team.

Mr Esipisu, who was launching what will be a monthly government briefing, announced that the garage at the new Terminal 4 at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport was last evening due to be opened after a fire last month.

The State House spokesman also said the government had secured deals for large-scale but inexpensive fertiliser.

“Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Felix Kosgei has visited Russia, Argentina and Brazil and met fertiliser producers’ associations and the results is that the discussions are advanced on the supply of fertilisers at preferential prices,” Mr Esipisu said.