Move to reduce grants anger Athletics Kenya affiliates

A past press conference at Riadha House. FILE PHOTO |

What you need to know:

  • Branches have also been angered by the move by the head office to withhold office grants.
  • But AK treasurer David Miano who is also Central Branch chairman defended the move.

Some Athletics Kenya (AK) regions have differed with the association over the move by top officials to reduce development grants to branches.

Branches have also been angered by the move by the head office to withhold office grants.

AK Southern region chairman Paul Mutwii on Thursday said such drastic measures should be discussed and passed at a properly-convened executive committee meeting.

Mutwii, flanked by fellow chairmen Barnabas Korir (Nairobi), Joseph Kinyua (Eastern) and John Wachira (South Rift), said AK had enough funds to sustain regional activities.

“Such unilateral decisions should not be taken without the consent of all the executive members,” said Mutwii. “These are some of the problems at the head office we have been talking about.”

Mutwii said annual grants from companies like sportswear manufacturers Nike who remit Sh150 million annually should help sustain AK activities. “There is need for an annual general meeting to help us understand the happenings at AK. We’ve been kept in the dark,” said Mutwii.

AUSTERITY MEASURES

But AK treasurer David Miano who is also Central Branch chairman defended the move, saying austerity measures have been taken owing to the prevailing tough circumstances.

AK had written to regional chairmen indicating that due to the suspension of sponsorships by donors for an unspecified period, it had become necessary to institute measures to safeguard the federation from financial collapse.

Safaricom has withheld sponsorship to several federations, including Athletics Kenya, Kenya Rugby Union and Football Kenya Federation owing to wrangles and allegations of financial mismanagement.

Safaricom and Kenya Commercial Bank are key sponsors of AK activities. Safaricom are yet to release funds for the ongoing National Relay Series but Miano said talks are ongoing with the company.

AK’s development grants to affiliates was slashed by 25 per cent while office grants have been done away with.

“Let me assure the fraternity that AK kitty is healthy. We are just taking precautionary measures,” said Miano. AK kitty is said to have close to Sh150m.

AK gives all its affiliates (except Kenya Defense Forces, Kenya Police and Kenya Prisons) Sh200,000 in office grants.

Central Rift and South Rift branches each gets Sh600,000 in development grants, Western and Coast Sh550,000 each, Nyanza South and Nyanza North Sh510,000 each.

Southern and Eastern each gets Sh505,000, Central Sh500,000 and Nairobi Sh450,000.