Uncertainty over future of Sports Fund hampers Starlets preps

Harambee Starlets preparations for next month’s Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (Awcon) have been left hanging by a thread as a result of the back and forth between government ministries and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Delegated Legislation over control of the National Sports Fund.

Starlets, pooled in Group “B” of the biennial competition alongside defending champions Nigeria, Zambia and South Africa, require Sh43 million to prepare for the tournament in Ghana.

“We might not be able to fund this team if the sports fund is not operational by next week since we can’t get the funds from the ministry as we understand they do not have them,” FKF President Nick Mwendwa said Tuesday at Goal Project offices in Kasarani.

The tussle pitting the National Treasury, Ministry of Sports and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Delegated Legislation began after Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich published the Public Finance Management (Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund) Regulations (PFMR) 2018 in a special issue of the Kenya Gazette on August 10. It takes away the Sports Ministry’s exclusive control of the Sports Fund.

“The Fund shall consist of all the proceeds required to be paid into the Fund under the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act; Cap. 131 and all the proceeds required to be paid into the Fund under the Income Tax Act,” the legal notice read in part.

The National Sports Fund was meant to facilitate sports activities around the country for the purpose of enhancing competitiveness among sports men and women but that has not been realised after the Treasury proposed the Sports (Amendment) Bill contained in the Finance Act 2018.

The Act puts Treasury in charge of betting collections totalling to about Sh15 billion channelled into the Fund instead of the money being channelled to the National Sports Fund controlled by the Sports ministry as per Section 12 (Part 2b) of the 2013 Sports Act.

The 22-man Parliamentary Select Committee on Delegated Legislation, chaired by Uasin Gishu Woman Representative Gladys Shollei is yet to approve Treasury’s proposal, throwing various national team preparations into disarray.

“It (PFMR) looked like a forged document from some stakeholders so we wanted them to prove that they actually sought public opinion. They did not provide the proof and that’s why we annulled it,” Funyula Member of Parliament Wilberforce Oundo, a member of the committee, told Nation Sport.

According to Oundo, the regulation (PFMR) submitted by the Treasury does not clarify which fund should be recognised between the one under the Sports Act 2013 (National Sports Fund) and PFMA as gazetted.

“Parliament is not to be blamed (for lack of funds in sports federations) as the law should be followed, we can’t authorise unlawful funds, they (Sports ministry and Treasury) just have to comply, seek public participation and we will sit to resolve it as soon as tomorrow but as it stands, it (PFMA) won’t go through,” he added.

Reached for comment, Sports Principal Secretary Kirimi Kaberia said the concerns have been addressed and the fund would be operational under the sports ministry by next week.

“I don’t think the administrative issue is a big concern but both ministries have agreed to comply with the law, as we speak, the public participation is ongoing until Friday. The ministry of sports will control the fund and that has been agreed with all stakeholders to avoid any future confusion. We are committed to our teams and we want to participate in their progress,” Kaberia added.

Last month, lack of funds threw into a tailspin the Kenya women’s volleyball team, Malkia Strikers’ preparations for the World championship in Japan forcing them to push back by two days their travel arrangements.

As a result of poor preparations, the team had a dismal performance, winning just one match in group “D” against Kazakhstan.

In the same month, Harambee Stars beat Ghana 1-0 in a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Group “F” qualifier but the team had problems raising money to travel to Ethiopia.

The Sports ministry raised Sh4 million of the Sh17 million budgeted for by FKF.

Last week, the Kenya National Amputee Football team camped at the Sports ministry’s Kencom offices requesting for funds to travel to Mexico for the World Amputee tournament.