The Head of Presidential Special Projects and Creative Economy, Dennis Itumbi, has assured the public that the Kenyan government will retrieve the KSh 500 million it paid to The Recording Academy if ongoing negotiations to host the Academy’s Africa headquarters in Kenya do not succeed.
Speaking on the matter, Itumbi dismissed claims that the money had been lost or misappropriated. He clarified that the payment was part of a formal bidding process, similar to those conducted for major global events like the FIFA World Cup.
“On this issue of the Grammy Awards, the Kenyan government, alongside Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa, submitted bids to host the Africa headquarters of the Recording Academy. As part of this bid, each country paid KSh 500 million,” Itumbi explained.
He added that the bid has not yet been decided. A Kenyan delegation was dispatched to the Recording Academy’s Los Angeles offices on 27th and 28th February 2025, for further discussions.
“If we lose the bid, the money will be refunded. Every bid involves submitting a proposal and a financial commitment. Part of the plan also includes building a state-of-the-art, globally accredited visual studio at the Talanta Sports Centres,” Itumbi said.
Despite these clarifications, there remains public skepticism about the payment, with some Kenyans viewing it as another questionable government transaction.
Many will also wonder what the basis for making a payment before confirmation of the hosting rights was.
Furthermore, the Recording Academy has not publicly confirmed whether it received the funds or acknowledged the bidding process. And indeed if there was a bidding process, this is not available anywhere online.
In December 2024, the Recording Academy however announced that the 2025 Grammy Awards ceremony would take place on February 2, 2025, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
The Academy also addressed the reports about hosting the event in Kenya and allegations of receiving money from foreign governments.
“Thank you for reaching out. The 2025 Grammys will take place on February 2, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. We are a non-profit organisation. We don’t take money from foreign governments. Best regards, Recording Academy Membership Department,” the email statement read.
This response appeared to contradict earlier remarks made by President William Ruto during a public address where he stated that Kenya had already paid KSh 500 million to secure the bid,
“We already paid. We are not about to pay. We already paid KSh 500 million, and I am sure the gentleman from Grammys can confirm that.”
The government has since maintained that there is nothing improper about the transaction. Itumbi emphasised that the bid followed a transparent process and that any funds would be reclaimed should the bid fail.
“It’s just like the World Cup where countries place a bid, you submit a proposal and a presentation, both on tourism and commercial aspects. And if you lose, you get back what belongs to you,” he added.
