DONORS TO the National Museums of Kenya are concerned that some officials at the institution may have diverted project funds and some of them are reported to have withheld their donations.

Two of the major donors, Unesco and the Ford Foundation, however, were cautious about the controversy, adopting a wait-and-see attitude towards an investigation currently going on at the museum.

But the Director General of the Museums Mr George Abungu denied claims that donors had withheld funds to the institution.

Said Unesco's country director Mr Vitta Paul: "We're cautious about how we give out money until the ongoing investigation at the institution is concluded; we do not wish to have a situation where project money is diverted to other uses." 

Unesco is supporting a $1million five-year project on the exploration of archaeological sites in Kenya.

The Ford Foundation said that the Kenya National Museums was an important beneficiary of its funding on several programmes. "Our relationship extends beyond the acts of any individual. We expect it to continue," a statement signed by the foundation's lawyer in Nairobi Mr Muin Malik, said.

Sources had claimed that the foundation had suspended its funds to the institution following reports of the loss of Ksh11 million, whose embezzlement the museum's former director general Dr Mohamad Isahakia is charged with. His case will be heard on May 6-7.

The funds were part of a $250,000 grant from the Ford Foundation meant for a project on African Conflict Resolution.

Sources said that investigations into fraud at the museum had been going on for the past one month and that the board of directors had met to discuss the issue of graft and financial mismanagement at the institution. 

Last week, Mr Abungu said that the investigations were related to graft at the Finance and Supplies department, but that it was "an internal audit." He said that four officials in the affected departments were suspected to have been involved in a plan to defraud the institution through alleged use of forged purchase orders.

"We realised there was a problem and have moved swiftly to deal with it," said Mr Abungu. But other sources at the institution claimed that the investigation was being conducted by officers from the Criminal Investigations Department who "have been based at the museum for the past one month."

The sources claimed that the effects of the reported fraud were already being felt and the scarcity of funds following the alleged freeze by major donors had stalled work at the institution. "We cannot make even simple requisitions for office stationary and departments which do not generate their own funds can no longer function," said the source.

A scientist at the museum said that the situation had created disaffection among the researchers due to the decline of donor confidence in the institution. 

"As a result, some researchers are working through other research institutions, a trend that is diverting crucial projects and funding away from the National Museums of Kenya," he said. 

He cited a case where a project that had attracted $700,000 and was initially intended for the museum had been taken up by an NGO in Nairobi.

An official at United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said there was a "general concern" about the issues at the museum, but added that a decision to stop funding would also affect the three East African countries. 

The official said that UNDP was currently financing a biodiversity programme covering the East African region and any decision to stop funding had to take into account the broad nature of the project.

Meanwhile, the trafficking of artefacts through Kenya still poses a problem for the museum. Mr Abungu said that although the problem began before his appointment, it is still a serious one.

Three years ago, a senior official at the museum was implicated in the trafficking of artefacts from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia.

The claims were confirmed by the then Director of the Kenya Wildlife Service, who was also a director of the National Museums, Dr Richard Leakey, and Prof Godfrey ole Maloiy, the current chairman of the museum board. It was claimed that the culprit had used museum facilities to store huge consignments of artefacts.

Mr Abungu said that the issue of trafficking in artefacts was complicated by the flood of counterfeits, made by fraudsters trying to cash in on booming trade in African artefacts.