The Bomas question: Where is the Sh45 billion contract?

Tourism CS Rebecca Miano grilled for not appearing for  some of the committee oversight meeting invitations on September 17, 2026. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

The 45 billion Bomas International Convention Centre (BICC) project has hit a fresh storm after it emerged that the Ministry of Tourism, which owns the project and oversees its funding, does not hold the construction contract. Instead, the Ministry of Defence holds the key procurement and contracting documents, as it was delegated responsibility for implementing the project.

The disclosure at the Senate has raised questions over who is ultimately responsible for the Sh45.1 billion project, whose cost has risen from an initial Sh31.7 billion, and why the ministry funding and overseeing the flagship facility does not have immediate custody of its principal contractual documents.

Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano told the Committee Chaired by Nominated Senator Hamida Kibwana that her Ministry retains responsibility for the project's ownership, marketing and positioning Kenya as a major international conference destination.

“I would like to inform the Senate that the Ministry of Tourism retains the ownership of the Bomas International Convention Centre while the contracting function had been delegated to the Ministry of Defence and we believe they will handle the documentation,” said Miano.

The revelation by the  Tourism Cabinet Secretary raised questions among Senators, particularly because the project is funded through the Tourism Fund with the committee seeking comprehensive documentation to enable it to effectively scrutinise the project.

Senator Hamida said that the committee would require the contract and procurement records, financing agreements, project budgets and financial statements, invoices, payment and expenditure records, work plans, progress reports, project timelines and feasibility studies.

When President William Ruto inspected the ongoing construction works at the Bomas of Kenya. [PCS]

“We would request that the Senate be furnished with the technical reports, bills of quantities, approved designs and correspondence relating to the planning, procurement, financing and implementation of the project, including any contract variations,” said Senator Hamida.

Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua questioned why the Ministry of Tourism, which is expected to own the facility, did not have custody of the key contractual documents, stating that he had never seen a case where one ministry signs a contract, but the responsibility for tracking progress is with another ministry.

“It cannot be that one ministry has signed a contract with a contractor, another ministry is undertaking construction, and another ministry is the one that is tracking progress; that is funny if it is happening, then maybe then that is something new,” said Senator Wambua.

The Tourism Cabinet Secretary explained that the project was approved by the Cabinet in 2023 when Bomas was under the Ministry of Culture and Gender Affairs, after which procurement responsibilities were transferred to the Ministry of Defence.

“This project was approved by Cabinet in 2023; at that time, Bomas was under the Ministry of Culture and Gender Affairs. The procurement process was then delegated to the Ministry of Defence in review of the arrangement of government,” said Miano.

She said that Bomas was then transferred to the Ministry of Tourism, and since that time they have been there to track the progress, ensure the project is going we have contract documents for purposes of ensuring that it is being implemented in accordance with the contract that has been signed by the Ministry of Defence.

The Cabinet Secretary told Senators that she can discuss with Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya so that they can get a contract of the project, which can then be submitted to the Senate Roads, Transport and Housing Committee for perusal.

Bomas International Convention Centre is a national flagship initiative designed to position Kenya as a premier meetings and conferences destination.

Senator Wambua further questioned Miano on why her ministry could not immediately provide the Senate Committee with a copy of the contract if it was using it to monitor the project's progress, wondering why it was difficult to provide it when she appeared before the committee.

Miano, however, maintained that the Ministry of Defence remained responsible for technical supervision and project management, while the Ministry of Tourism had a role in tourism development and marketing.

The Cabinet Secretary told Senators that her ministry's responsibility included ensuring the project progressed and coordinating its integration into international tourism calendars, terming it a flagship initiative designed to position Kenya as a premier meetings and conferences destination.

“Bomas International Convention Centre is a national flagship initiative designed to position Kenya as a premier meetings and conferences destination and therefore looking at even the international tourism protocols and calendars, our ministry has to have a role and even ensure at what time should the bookings be done,” said Miano.

She told Senators the BICC facility is planned to accommodate up to 11,000 delegates across 54 meeting rooms, with key components including the Main Convention Hall with a 5,000-seat main convention hall designed to host large-scale conferences, exhibitions and events.

The Cabinet Secretary told Senators that the BICC will have a 3,500-seat auditorium suitable for plenary sessions, performances, and presentations, with a 1,500-seat banquet ballroom for formal dinners, receptions, and social events.

“Bomas will have a Presidential Pavilion designed to host up to 32 Heads of State, reflecting the project's capacity to host high-level international events, with the project scope also including landscaping works and parking facilities with a capacity of 1,300 vehicles, with the project incorporating solar power production to support sustainability and reduce the facility's carbon footprint,” said Miano.

She told Senators that the design phases for the project have been completed, providing a solid foundation for construction, and notable progress has been made in core structural works, including foundation and structural framework.

Laikipia Senator John Kinyua also questioned the financial accountability arrangements, arguing that the Ministry of Tourism should have access to the contract because project funds were being channelled through its docket.

Senator Kinyua said the transfer of procurement responsibilities to the Ministry of Defence because of the project's national importance, scale, complexity and need for specialised technical capacity did not take away the Tourism Ministry's responsibility to account for the funds.

“The Bomas International Convention Centre is financed through the Ministry of Tourism while the Ministry of Defence is implementing the project, the Ministry of Tourism cannot effectively oversee expenditure without access to the contract agreement,” argued Senator Kinyua.

Marsabit Senator Mohamed Chute said the committee should summon the Defence Cabinet Secretary to provide the documents required to scrutinise the project since it was clear that the Tourism Cabinet Secretary was not able to provide them when required.

Samburu Senator Steve Lelegwe said that if the Tourism Cabinet Secretary could not provide the required documents, the committee should direct its inquiries to the Ministry of Defence since they are better placed to explain what is happening at the moment.

Environmentalists have opposed the plan to relocate an animal orphanage from Nairobi National Park to a new site near Bomas International Conference Centre, terming it a plot to cover up the construction of a parking lot at the Bomas designed for 1,300 vehicles.

However, Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) has defended its decision to move the orphanage to the new 90-acre land, saying it was approved by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).

In the Environmental Impact Assessment  (EIA) report to NEMA, KWS indicated its intention to relocate and upgrade the Nairobi Animal Orphanage to include spacious naturalistic animal enclosures and modern veterinary and quarantine services, among other needs.

The project that commenced in March this year met stiff opposition from the Friends of Nairobi National Park, Public Interest Litigation and Advocacy for the Environment (PILAE), among other activists, following the massive degradation of the natural vegetation.

"We have obtained photos and videos showing the felling of trees and bush clearing began on March 21. We call for a halt to the project to prevent irreversible damage to one of the park's most sensitive habitats," said Akshay Vishwanath, the Executive Director at PILAE.

Kenya Wildlife Service Corporate Affairs Department, in a statement, admitted that the existence of the relocation programme of the animal orphanage is in line with the expansion of the facility, targeting more visitors.

"It is not just a relocation but a strategic relocation closer to Bomas where visitors will not labour to travel but just walk in and see the animals within the orphanage,” said KWS in a statement.