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Itumbi Clarifies That KSh 500 Million Grammy Payment Was a Bid Deposit

Dennis Itumbi, Head of Presidential Special Projects and Creative Economy, has stated that the Sh500 million paid by the Kenyan government to The Recording Academy was a deposit made as part of a bid to establish the Grammy Awards’ Africa headquarters in Kenya. He assured the public that these funds would be recovered if Kenya’s bid is unsuccessful.

Itumbi refuted allegations that the substantial sum had been lost, emphasizing that the payment was an integral component of the bidding process, which also involved Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa. President William Ruto had previously disclosed that the payment was intended to support Kenya’s proposal to host the prestigious academy’s African base.

“On this issue of Grammy awards,” Itumbi explained, “the Kenyan government, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa each of these countries lobbied to be Africa’s Grammy headquarters. Grammy had an idea to set up its headquarters in Africa, like all four other countries that bid to become the headquarters. In addition, part of the bid is to pay the Sh500 million. The bid has not yet been decided.”

He further elaborated on the process, mentioning a Kenyan delegation’s visit to The Recording Academy’s Los Angeles office on February 27th and 28th, 2025. “If we lose the bid, of course, the money will be returned. Every bid you bid with a proposal and with money put in.”

Itumbi also highlighted a planned state-of-the-art visual studio at the Talanta Sports Centers as part of Kenya’s bid.

Despite these assurances, The Recording Academy has yet to officially confirm or deny the bidding claims or acknowledge receipt of the funds. Nation newspaper reported having sought clarification from the academy five months prior but had not received a response.

Maintaining his stance, Itumbi asserted that there was no wrongdoing involved in the government’s actions regarding the Grammy initiative and the associated expenditure.

Drawing an analogy to other international bidding processes, he stated, “It’s just like the World Cup where countries place a bid, you put a proposal and a presentation, both on tourism and commercial, and if you lose the bid, you get back what belongs to you. (The money).”

The public awaits further confirmation from The Recording Academy to shed more light on this ongoing matter.

 

 

About this writer:

Baba Ghafla


      
             
 
           
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