House team now wants all Rio expenditure audited

Matungu MP David Were at a past press briefing. PHOTO | FILE |

What you need to know:

  • The report also tears into Team Kenya’s qualification and training, the National Steering Committee, accreditation and the disbandment of Nock.
  • On the budget, the Committee gave the Auditor General three months to undertake a detailed forensic audit of any money allocated from the consolidated funds towards facilitating the Rio Olympic Games and report before the Committee of the National Assembly.

The Parliamentary Committee on Labour and Social Welfare investigating mismanagement of Team Kenya during the 2016 Rio Olympics has unearthed massive irregularities in expenditure and transactions at the Ministry of Sports and the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (Nock).

The committee now wants the Auditor General to conduct a detailed forensic audit to find out what really happened since the Ministry of Sports and Nock didn’t provide documents to support most of their expenditures.

The findings released Thursday by the committee that is chaired by the MP for Matungu, David Were, wants the special audit to focus on Team Kenya ticketing, uniforms, accommodation and the overall budget.

Out of the total budget allocation of Sh499,777,426, the Ministry of Sports gave a breakdown of how Team Kenya spend Sh357,703,324 million.

However, the report indicated there were no supporting documents on the expenditure. 

The report also tears into Team Kenya’s qualification and training, the National Steering Committee, accreditation and the disbandment of Nock.

On the budget, the Committee gave the Auditor General three months to undertake a detailed forensic audit of any money allocated from the consolidated funds towards facilitating the Rio Olympic Games and report before the Committee of the National Assembly.

The report also said the Ministry of Sports should review and amend the Sports Act, 2013 to enforce good governance and integrity in the management of sports activities in the country.

The report detailed that Chef de Mission Stephen Soi carried Sh 29,829,000 (in dollars) to Rio in hard cash for the purpose of accreditation and accommodation. While there was balance of Sh 8,634,100, the report details that there were no documentary evidence tabled before the Committee indicating the costs incurred, if any, of accreditation or accounting for the cost of accreditation.

The Committee found that no room was booked for President Uhuru Kenyatta on the cruise ship as alleged by Nock officials.

The Committee also wants the Ministry of Sports to provide an itemised budget showing how Sh1 billion set aside for sports activities will be used in rewarding athletes that participated at the Rio Olympic Games.