Nairobi, March 20 -- Taxpayers will foot a Sh4 billion bill as compensation to a private meat firm for breach of contract for its abattoir taken over by the government nearly four decades ago.

This is after Parliament approved the payment to Halal Meats Products Limited in the new financial year starting July 1 through the State Department for Livestock.

The bill stems from a 1986 suit after the government took over the Halal Meat Products abattoir in Ngong without compensation.

The funds are contained in the report on the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) for the year 2023/24 that Parliament approved last Wednesday.

The State had intended to expand the Halal Meats Products facility and even provided additional land and Sh27 million loan ...