Kenya in aid row with Denmark
2005-07-13 15:00
Nairobi - Denmark said on Wednesday it has suspended a planned increase of millions of dollars in assistance to Kenya over a row with authorities in the East African country over a row involving Danish aid workers.
In a statement released by the Danish embassy, Copenhagen said it was putting on hold plans to boost its aid to Nairobi by 400m Kenyan shillings ($5.2m) this year as a result of the spat.
In addition, it said was reconsidering its five-year development plan for Kenya pending action by Nairobi on the dispute in which visas and work permits were revoked for three Danes working for the Danish non-governmental organisation MS Kenya after they were accused of subversion and fomenting tribal violence.
No new grants
"We have to be confident that the situation in Kenya is progressing in the right direction before we decide on the framework for the next five years of development co-operation," Danish development minister Ulla Tornaes said in the statement.
"This implies that I will keep the Danish country assistance strategy for Kenya on hold and there will be no new grants for sector programmes in Kenya for the time being," she said.
"I will also postpone the planned increase in the country frame for 2005," Tornaes said.
The embassy said the decision would keep Danish aid to Kenya at about 1.5bn shillings ($19.7m) this year, the same level as last year.
The row began earlier this year when Kenyan officials refused to renew visas and work permits for three MS-Kenya aid workers, accusing them "overstepping their mandate, by inciting Kenyan tribes to fight for land" in the central Rift valley.
Kenya government refuses to back down
The group, a branch of the Danish association of international co-operation Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke, categorically denied the charges as did the Danish government but Kenyan authorities have refused to back down.
Last month Kenyan government spokesperson Alfred Mutua reiterated the complaints but said MS-Kenya was free to send new representatives since Nairobi's action only concerned the three identified workers.
Tornaes said she regretted the Kenyan decision and chose to believe the denials issued by the Danish charity.
"I regret the hard line chosen by the government of Kenya concerning the renewal of work- and stay permits for the three individual MS-Kenya staff members," she said.
"I have no reason to doubt the assurances I have received from MS that their staff members have operated in a fully professional manner," Tornaes said, adding she hoped the situation could be resolved in order to free up the aid.