Top sports ministry officials embezzled Sh88 million meant for tickets, probe shows

Top officials in the Sports ministry embezzled Sh88 million meant for air tickets to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, a probe into one of Kenya’s most controversial sporting outings shows.

Those found culpable will be prosecuted if the recommendations of a tribunal that investigated the debacle are adopted.

The report, by the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games Probe Committee, was handed to President Uhuru Kenyatta by Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario last week.

It also expresses concern about the misappropriation of funds paid to the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (Nock) by American sportswear manufacturer Nike, which supplies training and competition uniforms to Kenyan teams.

Information obtained by the Nation on Thursday revealed that the investigating team, led by Strathmore University Dean of Students Paul Ochieng, discovered that Sh88,611,480 meant for air tickets to the August event was misappropriated.

The team recommended that action be taken against the culprits in the disappearance of the cash at the Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts. It also said Nock should account for the Sh126 million per year it receives from Nike on behalf of athletes.

Sources on Thursday said President Kenyatta is expected to make the report public and announce measures to be taken against those adversely mentioned in it.

According to the investigating team, an eight-year (2013-2020) contract between Nock and Nike needs an overhaul as it is heavily skewed in favour of the American sportswear manufacturer.

PROFESSIONAL SELECTION

The committee also recommends professional selection of Kenya’s future teams to international competitions as the one for the Rio Games was unfair, “especially in rugby and track and field”.

Despite a series of management blunders, Kenya bagged its biggest ever medal haul at the Olympics held in Brazil, winning six gold, six silver and one bronze medals.

This performance broke the previous record of six gold, four silver and four bronze medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Nock assistant treasurer Stephen Soi, treasurer Fridah Shiroya and vice-chairman Pius Ochieng, along with secretary Francis Kinyili Paul, have since appeared in court to answer to charges related to the games.

On Thursday, sources said, on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, that cash bonuses from Nike for Olympic and Commonwealth Games medal winners had never reached the athletes.

Nike gives $15,000 (Sh1.5 million) to Nock for each gold medal won at the Olympic Games, $7,500 (Sh750,000) for silver and $5,000 (Sh500,000) for bronze.

“Even though the cash is payable to Nock, a large percentage of such bonus payment must trickle down to the individual athletes winning these medals,” said a source privy to the discussions that led to the signing of the Nike deal with Nock.

Kenyan athletes who have previously won Olympic medals — including the reigning 5,000 metres champion Vivian Cheruiyot, former 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop and multiple steeplechase medallist Ezekiel Kemboi — told the Nation they had never been paid any Nike bonuses for their medals.

AFTER COMPETITIONS

According to the contract, the medal bonuses are payable 60 days after the individual competitions — meaning that medal winners at Rio ought to have been paid a share of the medal bonuses by now.

On Thursday, it emerged that ministry officials had refused to pay Dr Ochieng’s team for their work, demanding that they be given a copy of the report first before releasing the money.

Members of the committee, which handed the report to Dr Wario on October 28, read malice in the failure by some operatives in the ministry to release their payments.

“We signed the claim forms on October 28, when we presented the report to Dr Wario, who directed the ministry’s accounting officers to pay us, but they have declined, saying we must give them copies of the report,” said Dr Ochieng on Thursday.

Added the don: “They should ask for the report from the appointing authority, who is Dr Wario, and not us. The officials suspect that they are adversely mentioned in the report, hence they want to get hold of it so as to doctor it or hit back.”

Dr Wario, Sports Principal Secretary Richard Ekai and Director of Administration Harun Komen were unavailable for comment by the time we went to press.