‘Absurd’ expenditure places league body in the spotlight

In what is likely to raise eye brows regarding financial accountability in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) in the wake of sham Footballer of the Year (Foya) awards ceremony held last week, the league body is alleged to have spent some Sh16.3 million to fete players alone in a Foya gala night held last year.

According to an advert by the Football Kenya Federation in the dailies Monday, KPL received Sh145 million from broadcast sponsors, Supersport, and Sh56 million from official league sponsors, East African Breweries Limited, creating a total of Sh201 million. These figures are from the 2013 KPL Annual Report.

Out of the figure, a staggering Sh16,266,200 was spent on a five-hour gala night event, with the money going towards feting the league’s best performers of the 2013 season.

And given that winners in respective disciplines only get Sh100,000, Sh75,000 for first runners-up, and Sh50,000 for third place finishers, there are bound to be questions. The Best Player, however, gets an additional Sh50,000.

In total, there are 13 categories: Golden Boot, Best Player, Best Midfielder, Best Defender, Best Goalkeeper, Best Coach, Best Fair Player, Best Fair Play Team, New Young Player Award, Most Improved Centre Referee, Most Improved Assistant Referee, Best Team Manager, and the Chairman’s Award.
An estimate of the cost of the awards including runners-up comes to approximately Sh3.25 million.

This sum does not, however, include meals and entertainment expenses, booking costs of the venue, and charges incurred on purchasing the trophies for the winners.

BROADCAST SPONSORS

Further, each club receives Sh500,000 in grants monthly from broadcast sponsors, which brings each clubs’ annual earnings from the kitty to Sh6 million.

If multiplied by the total number of clubs 16 a cumulative figure of Sh96 million is realised. This, according to the report, is Sh17,133,320 shy of the sum the clubs should have received. 

However, speaking to Nation Sports from South Africa, KPL chief executive officer Jack Oguda defended the budget.

“The figure (Sh16.3 million) includes Sh4 million paid to league champions, Sh1.5 million to the runners-up, Sh1 million to third place finishers and Sh750,000 to fourth place finishers. The balance was spent on trophies, flying in players for the event, paying dancers, and decorations,” he said. “Dinner per head at the gala cost an average of Sh4,000.”

But contrary to Oguda’s claim, last year, the Cecafa Senior Challenge up was held in the country, meaning no player was flown in for the gala night the event usually atkes place at the end of the league campaign which has, in the past, coincided with Cecafa.

On his part, KCB chairman George Odhiambo, who is also the chair of KPL’s Governing Council Financial Committee, posed: “Why is FKF not mentioning the money we paid them in fees, or that which we have given them whenever they are in a fix?”