Government orders full audit on FKF accounts

What you need to know:

  • The ministry distanced itself from the delay that saw Stars arrive at Cape Verde few hours before the second leg of 2018 World Cup group stage qualifier kicked off.
    Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario on Tuesday said they had already sent its auditors to the FKF offices to peruse the federation’s books as it finds out what happened to the trip.
  • The committee is investigating the delay and is set to meet with FKF officials before presenting a report to the House.
  • Senators said the occurrence dented Kenya’s chances of qualifying for the group stages of tournament set for Moscow in 2018.
  • Kenya was knocked out after conceding two goals in Cape Verde despite going there with a one goal advantage.

The Ministry of Sports has ordered for an audit on the Football Kenya Federation accounts following the bungled Harambee Stars trip to Cape Verde in November last year.

Further, the ministry distanced itself from the delay that saw Stars arrive at Cape Verde few hours before the second leg of 2018 World Cup group stage qualifier kicked off.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario on Tuesday said they had already sent its auditors to the FKF offices to peruse the federation’s books as it finds out what happened to the trip.

“We are seeking to know how the money we sent was spent. We have a right as a government to know how our money was used,” said Dr Wario.

Appearing before the Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare at Parliament Buildings, the CS said as the only sponsor of the national football team it had every right to know how the money given for tournaments were spent.

“We have written to them (FKF) to account for money we have given them this financial year.

BUNGLED TRIP

Football (Harambee Stars) is the only sport that rely on us 100 per cent,” added the CS who was being questioned by the senators over the trip that was delayed for hours.

The team eventually flew to the African Island for the qualifier on a chartered plane after getting stranded at the Wilson Airport.

The committee is investigating the delay and is set to meet with FKF officials before presenting a report to the House.

Senators said the occurrence dented Kenya’s chances of qualifying for the group stages of tournament set for Moscow in 2018.

Kenya was knocked out after conceding two goals in Cape Verde despite going there with a one goal advantage.

The lawmakers also wanted to know why the federation had given money to FKF yet it was yet not recognised by the Sports Registrar.

“If FKF is not a registered with the ministry why did the government release money to an organisation that has not been registered in accordance to the Sports Act?” asked Committee Chairman Stewart Madzayo.

DIRECT PAYMENTS

The CS said it had developed new guidelines to avoid similar occurrences in the future saying they will pay service providers dealing with Harambee Stars directly instead of paying them through FKF.

According to him, hotels and airlines will be paid by the government directly.

Players will also be paid allowances directly and not through the federation as is the case now.

“We want to do what we are doing now with our athletics. We pay our athletes directly and we will do the same with our footballers. We have to deal with this problem once a for all,” said the CS.