Why Mwai had to quit stadium job

By Omulo Okoth

Fresh details are emerging on why the Sports Minister was determined to replace Sam Mwai as the chief executive of the Sports Stadia Management Board (SSMB).

Mwai’s contract had run its full course after six years at the helm of the SSMB. But like any chief executive of a State parastatal, more so, which has lately brought in millions in revenue, would have been more than happy to have his contract renewed. He had attended Soccerex conferences in South Africa and London, made contacts with Emirates Stadium, home of Arsenal with a view to emulating corporate planning for SSMB, especially ahead of the 2010 Fifa World Cup finals.

Recently, Mwai had concluded deals for the visit of Brazil and Hungary to play friendly matches at Kasarani. Hungary were to play Kenya’s Harambee Stars and Uganda Cranes in a tri-nation tournament. They have called off their trip. Details of Brazil match in July are scanty.

When the SSMB chairman, Joe Aketch, engaged the minister in a heated argument on Monday during the inauguration of the new board, what came out clearly was a serious disconnect between SSMB and the minister.

Insiders interviewed last week revealed Mwai was keen on continuing. He neither denied nor confirmed this. The SSMB would have wanted to extend his contract, but it became apparent this was not going down well with the ministry bosses. SSMB thus wanted to appoint one of Mwai’s assistants to continue with the work he had started.

Unbeknown to lobbyists in SSMB, the minister had other ideas. First she identified a young and suave politician-cum-businessman, James

Bett, who was networking with Kalenjin people in Kenya and in the Diaspora and who was also linked with President Kibaki’s PNU to the post.

Unfortunately, Bett died in a road accident days before taking up his new job. The minister then named a retired former Permanent Secretary, who was also former secretary of the Teachers Service Commission, Benjamin Sogomo, to the post and duly gazetted it.

Sogomo is a family friend of the minister’s, in fact a personal friend of the minister’s husband, Dr Edward Sambili, who is also a PS.

Deal for branding

The minister was firm to see off Mwai. It is now emerging one of the reasons Mwai had to go was about the SSMB and Coca Cola deal for branding and renaming of Nyayo National Stadium.

(See Mwai’s response to these allegations elsewhere on this page). We could not reach Sambili and the Permanent Secretary, Kinuthia Murugu, for interviews.

The minister said Mwai and Aketch handled the Coke deal in a manner that left a lot to be desired, giving the trans-national company a lot of leeway.

The top ministry officers allege they were not in the loop at every stage of negotiations, although Commissioner of Sport, Gordon Oluoch, and Sports Secretary, Prof Wilson Langat, sit on the board.

There was also the small matter of Mwai’s involvement in the 2007 World Cross Country Championships Local Organising Committee for which he was a key member and a signatory to the bank account.

Bank account

After completion of the World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa in March 2007, the LOC was to disband after six months and hand over any responsibilities to the parent ministry.

But the ministry learnt that the bank account was still active last year and transactions were going on, way after its mandate had elapsed.

Querries were raised as to who was authorising such transactions. The LOC top management had to authorise such transactions and this development raised eyebrows in the ministry headquarters.

Former Sports Secretary, Daniel Maanzo, took a particular interest in the matter and sought reasons from the LOC chief executive, Isaac Kalua.

Kalua is reported to have explained the circumstances in which the bank account was still active months after the six-month grace period to the headquarters.

But if the SSMB members thought that was the end to the matter, they were mistaken as the minister went ahead to name a new chief executive.