Kaberia: Future allowances will be paid within 48 hours

Sports and Culture Principal Secretary Kirimi Kaberia (left) welcomes Team Kenya Captain Julius Yego at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on September 3, 2019 when they jetted in from African Games held in Rabat, Morocco. PHOTO | LUCY WANJIRU |

What you need to know:

  • Kaberia spoke a day after the Kenyan contingent to the recent African Games in Rabat arrived back home with a bitter taste in their mouths
  • Kaberia also said federations will have guidelines on timelines for making requests for financial assistance
  • The PS also said issues of erroneous details of athletes’ bank accounts and disparities in details of minors’ guardians caused delays in the transmission of allowances to bank accounts

Following incessant delays in payment of allowances and other monies to sports teams on national duty, Sports Principal Secretary Kirimi Kaberia Wednesday night announced several changes that would assure prompt payment.

These include an assurance that all sports people carrying the Kenyan flag on international duty will be paid ahead of travel, and that requests for funding will be dealt with "within 48 hours."

Kaberia spoke a day after the Kenyan contingent to the recent African Games in Rabat arrived back home with a bitter taste in their mouths, lamenting that they were yet to be paid their allowances abroad in time despite bringing glory to the country.

Speaking on Wednesday night, Kaberia vowed to put an end to these delays.

"There will be forms to be filled by each government officer in the flow chart and each officer will account for his or her actions," Kaberia told Nation Sport.

"For instance, the first approver will have a maximum of one hour to act on the requests, and those invoicing will have a maximum of 30 minutes to process.

"The cash office will have five minutes to act and at banking level, the officers will each have one hour maximum to transmit the payments to the athletes’ accounts.

"Cumulatively, the entire process should not take more than 48 hours and I will personally oversee the process, starting with this month’s World Championships in Doha."

Kaberia also said federations will have guidelines on timelines for making requests for financial assistance.

The PS also said issues of erroneous details of athletes’ bank accounts and disparities in details of minors’ guardians caused delays in the transmission of allowances to bank accounts.

“I’m asking federations to also ensure they give correct details and that they submit their requests in good time,” the PS added.

“I wish to put an end to these delays once and for all and Doha will be the first test,” he said.