The Deputy President’s official residence in the smart Nairobi suburb of Karen was opened by President Kibaki in November 2012 having been ‘completed’ at a cost Sh430 million but to date it has not been lived in by either former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, or the current Deputy President William Ruto.

Now it seems the DP’s palace is falling apart and will need another Sh100 million spent on it to make it habitable. The Kenya Forum thinks this cost will rise because one serious design flaw has been overlooked.

WHEN THINGS FALL APART

According to a report in the Star, the formica in the lounge of the Deputy President’s residence is peeling off and the room was not fitted with air conditioning. Other changes are required, apparently, to the sitting room, bedrooms and offices, and doors will have to be replaced throughout.

As for security, the DP’s house set in 12 acres will require a perimeter wall to be built, an electric fence to be erected and CCTV cameras set up around the compound.

SNIPER ALLEY

It is with regards to this last point, the security of the DP’s official residence, that the Kenya Forum thinks the costs of refurbishment will rise still further.

At present the house, its entrance, many of its windows and its grounds are clearly visible from nearby roads – a security nightmare. Whether it be the Deputy President himself, or visiting dignitaries, they would all at present be sitting ducks for a sniper who would have a clear view of his target. To solve this problem will require the building of a high wall and the planting of tall trees all around the compound.

SH553 MILLION

With the current work to be undertaken it is estimated that the final cost of the house be around Sh553 million, up from the original estimate of Sh197 million when construction began in 2006, and the residence will now not be ready for official use until 2017!