Sam Nyamweya: Arrest of Nick Mwendwa - is not political

Reacting to Mwendwa’s woes, Nyamweya through a statement signed on behalf of the stakeholders , dismissed the reports that the arrest of the FKF boss was politically instigated adding that the stakeholders are behind Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed’s efforts to streamline football management in Kenya.

 “We the football stakeholders are saddened by media reports and the politicisation of the arrest of former President of FKF Nick [Mwendwa] on the basis of corruption and committing economic crimes,” Nyamweya said in the statement.

“Our leading media houses have devoted acres of space from the year 2019 to date chronicling in graphic details the malpractices, financial impropriety, violations, high handedness and impunity by FKF Officials, led by Mwendwa.

“Be that as it may, it is on record that dozens of football stakeholders have petitioned Fifa, Caf, Fifa investigatory Chambers, Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Ethics, and anti-corruption commission, the Ministry of Sports Culture and Heritage, the office of the Sports Registrar, and the respective National Assembly and Senate Committee that have Sports in their docket.

“Dozens of football stakeholders have recorded statements with DCI and the Anti-Banking Fraud unit detailing the rot and outright theft of money meant for development and management of football.

“It is on record that football stakeholders have on diverse dates from 2019 issued press statements, media releases, conducted media interviews raising serious concerns on the mismanagement of football and gross financial mismanagement of football Kenya Federation.”

Amina constituted a committee to audit the federation after the Auditor-General’s report indicated that Mwendwa received a refund in excess of Sh11 million from the Sh244 million without a requisition. The money was advanced to the national team as they prepared for the 2019 Afcon tournament.

 “Three sticking gross violations that have been ventilated by the football stakeholders among many others is the gross misappropriation of Kshs 244 Million shillings meant to facilitate our senior national football team's [Harambee Stars] participation in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations,” the statement continued.

“The second heinous economic crime is the loss of Kshs 125 million shillings paid out to a company in the UK for purchase of outside broadcasting ban. The company went under a few months after the payment was made, financial statements of the company for the year 2017 showed a company that had all signs of going under, why the football mandarins at Kandanda house never saw this or was it deliberate?

“The third and most striking is the Auditors general report for the year 2019-2020, the auditor general flagged an irregular transfer of Ksh 11 million of tax payers’ money to the personal account of Mwendwa and Ksh 57 million that cannot be accounted for.

“Corruption should be treated as a crime, political party affiliation notwithstanding.

It is therefore cheap juvenile propaganda to politicize the arrest of Nick Mwendwa and his cronies on matters purely corruption and economic crimes.”