Itumbi now says Sh500 million payment to Grammy was bid deposit

Dennis Itumbi, the Head of Presidential Special Projects and Creative Economy, says the government of Kenya will retrieve the Sh500,000 it paid to The Recording Academy, if talks to have the Academy set up in Kenya do not succeed.
Itumbi denied claims that the Sh500 million paid by Kenya to The Recording Academy has been lost.
President William Ruto stated that the payment was made as part of a bid to have The Recording Academy, the organizers of the prestigious Grammy Awards, set up the academy’s Africa headquarters in Kenya.
However, there continues to be a general feeling that the payment was another scheme by the government to siphon money from the public coffers.
“On this issue of Grammy awards, 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. On February 27 and 28, 2025 there were delegation was sent to the Los Angeles office of the Recording Academy. If we lose the bid, of course, the money will be returned. Every bid you bid with a proposal and with money put in. And part of that deal is to create a state-of-the-art, globally accepted visual studio at  Talanta Sports Centers. “ Itumbi says.
Grammy is yet to issue a statement confirming or denying whether the bidding claims are true and if indeed it received the money. Five months ago, Nation wrote to The Recording Academy seeking clarification on the subject, but there has not been any response.
Itumbi maintains there is nothing sinister that the government is doing as far as the Grammy debate is concerned, and the millions of shillings involved.
“’ 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)” He adds.

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