Report faults UN complex expansion job 

By Kevin J. Kelley
October 9, 2008
The Nation
Original Source: http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/478738/-/tky1jq/-/

Poor management and inadequate accountability are plaguing construction projects valued at nearly $30 million (about Sh2.2 billion) at the United Nations’ Gigiri complex in Nairobi, according to a new report.
The blame lies with UN officials both in Nairobi and at the world body’s headquarters in New York, according to the report.
It states that oversight of the planned upgrade and expansion of the Gigiri facilities is “neither adequate nor well-implemented.” The report urges that “strict internal control measures should be put in place and competent leadership should be assigned to the project.”
These findings by the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions were discussed at a meeting in New York on Tuesday. Several delegates expressed chagrin over the handling of the Nairobi projects.
A representative of the Group of 77 developing countries faulted “insufficient guidance” from UN headquarters in New York. Mr Conrod Hunte, the group’s spokesman, told the meeting that as a result of the problems besetting the Nairobi projects the UN itself was “potentially exposed to significant risk.” And that is “unacceptable,” Mr Hunte added.
The criticisms come in the wake of a reported agreement by secretary general Ban Ki-moon to elevate the status of the UN’s Nairobi programmes to match that of its operations in Geneva and Vienna.
Foreign minister Moses Wetang’ula said in New York two weeks ago that Mr Ban planned to appoint a director-general to oversee the UN Environment Programme and the UN Human Settlements Programme, both based in Nairobi.