Did you know that Kenya is required to pay annual subscriptions to top international organisations like the United Nations?
Being a member of these organisations, Kenya is obligated to pay membership subscriptions which often run to millions of shillings per year.
The subscriptions are usually paid by member states to facilitate the operations of the various organisations.
As outlined in the 2024 annual report on the Progress Made in Fulfilling the International Obligations of the Republic of Kenya, the highest subscription was made to the East African Community Secretariat and the African Union Commission (AUC).
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"Kenya is a party to various international treaties, thus assuming obligations and duties under international law," read the report.
"It is therefore obligated to put into place domestic measures and legislation compatible with treaty obligations subject to the Treaty Making and Ratification Act."
To AUC, Kenya paid Ksh1.2 billion and Ksh1.1 billion to the EAC secretariat during the 2023/2024 financial year.
Meanwhile, to the Global Fund, which supports various medical initiatives, the government paid Ksh289,540,450 in annual subscriptions.
The United Nations General Fund received Ksh123,912,439 from Kenya while Ksh317,085,738 was paid to COMESA.
Other notable contributions made to international organisations were Ksh36,505,450 (IMF) and Ksh4,656,017 (Commonwealth Foundation).
During the past financial year, ksh33,845,578 was paid to the International Labour Organization(ILO).
Allocation of Subscriptions
Different organisations determine subscriptions differently depending on several factors such as the economic status of the member state.
For instance, the IMF determines the quota to be paid based on the economic factors of a country.
The money raised from the countries is also used to lend to the countries.
"Quotas are the building blocks of the IMF’s financial and governance structure. An individual member country’s quota broadly reflects its relative position in the world economy.
"Quotas are denominated in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), the IMF’s unit of account," IMF explained.
