Football stakeholders have welcomed Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed’s directive to Sports Registrar to inspect the affairs by Football Kenya Federation.
The CS on Friday ordered Sports Registrar to audit Football Kenya Federation accounts.
The directive comes a day after the High Court of Kenya cleared the path for the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to investigate FKF President Nick Mwendwa over a suspected misappropriation of funds at Kandanda House.
The four football stakeholders, who include, Twaha Mbarak, Sammy Sholei, Andrew Amukowa and Goshi Juma Ali through a press statement lauded the move by CS Amina saying: “Today is a good day for the football stakeholders who have been consistent in the clamour for decisive actions by the respective government and other institutions against Football Kenya Federation following the move by the Cabinet Secretary Ambassador Amina Mohammed to direct that the Sports Registrar conducts an inspection of FKF affairs in accordance with Section 52 of the Sports Act.”
The stakeholders also asked Sports Registrar Rose Wasike to act with speed so as to save Kenyan football from collapse.
“This is a welcome gesture and we urge Registrar Rose Wasike to immediately act so as to save Kenyan football from any further defilement by its enemies who have been masquerading as its administrators for the last six years,” added the statement.
“Accordingly, we are aware that the malaise at Kandanda House is not exclusive to financial impropriety and that the rot transcends beyond one facet of sound corporate governance.”
The FKF boss had on October 1 last year sought to gag the DPP and DCI from investigating him over a complaint to the Banking Fraud Investigations Unit (BFIU) direct transfer of millions of shillings from the federation to Mwendwa's personal accounts.
Through lawyer Tom Ojienda, Mwendwa sued DCI and the DPP alongside journalist Milton Nyakundi, who had filed the complaint with the Banking Fraud Investigations Unit of DCI on October 1 last year.
Nyakundi had also separately filed the complaint on July 29 last year with the Investigatory Chamber and Ethics Committee of world football governing body, Fifa, under Article 58 (1) of the FIFA Code of Ethics to activate Article 59 of the FIFA Code of Ethics to find that Mwendwa had violated the law.
The journalist has flagged the movement of over US$ 94,077 and KSh17,583,951 between January 18, 2019 and June 26,2020. Fifa is yet to act.
Mwendwa, however, moved the High Court of Kenya to find that Nyakundi, not being a member of FKF, had no locus to complain over FKF matters.
In his ruling on Thursday, Judge J.A Makau dismissed Mwendwa’s case saying it lacked merit, was premature and speculative.
“We are convinced that, although coming rather late in the day, it is timely that the decision is hot on the heels of the High Court judgment by Justice James Makau dismissing the shameless attempt by Mwendwa state agencies tasked with the obligation of investigating impropriety in institutions with the public interest,” added the statement.
“We are reminded that it is not yet Uhuru for Kenyan football and therefore call for vigilance from all football lovers because this step alone does not nark the end
but the beginning of the homestretch.”
The stakeholders further listed the following audit proposal: