Government Says Bomas of Kenya is Not Sold, Just Being Improved

The government has responded after many Kenyans became angry over claims that the Bomas of Kenya had been sold to a foreign investor.

On Sunday, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said that the government had sold Bomas of Kenya to a Turkish businessman and that the Cabinet had agreed to it.

However, on Monday, March 10, the Principal Secretary (PS) for Culture and Arts, Ummi Bashir, denied these claims. She said that Bomas of Kenya has not been sold to anyone and remains government property.

Bashir explained that Bomas of Kenya was placed under the State Department for Culture, Arts, and Heritage by a government order in 2023. She said she was surprised by Gachagua’s claims because they were not true.

She also clarified that the changes happening at Bomas of Kenya are not because of a foreign investor. The government started planning for renovations a long time ago, and the Cabinet approved the upgrades in 2023. According to Bashir, the plan to improve Bomas of Kenya has been discussed for the last 10 years, but the current government has taken steps to make it happen.

The government wants to modernize Bomas of Kenya to become a top-quality conference center that meets international standards. Bashir assured Kenyans that Bomas of Kenya would remain government property and that there were no plans to sell it.

These statements came after Gachagua made strong accusations against the government on Sunday, March 9, while speaking at a church in Kitengela, Kajiado County. He claimed that he was the only one in the Cabinet who opposed the alleged sale.

Gachagua also said that the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) had warned that improving Bomas of Kenya could be a problem because it is near a major flight path. He further claimed that the Turkish businessman linked to the alleged deal was close to a high-ranking government official.

Despite these claims, the government insists that Bomas of Kenya has not been sold and is only being upgraded to improve its facilities.