Politics plays out as Uhuru, Ruto differ on dissolution of federation
The high-octane politics conducted in rallies yesterday played out in stadiums when allies of Deputy President William Ruto came to the defence of the beleaguered Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Nick Mwendwa while President Kenyatta’s camp insisted the organisation has to be disbanded.
Yesterday, Mr Mwendwa was arrested and was being questioned at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations over millions advanced to FKF by the government over the years. Mwendwa was questioned on Sh244 million the state extended to the federation to prepare Harambee Stars for the 2019 African Cup of Nations that was hosted in Egypt. He will spend the weekend in police custody and is expected in court on Monday.
President Kenyatta allies accused his deputy’s camp of benefiting from funds looted from FKF while the DP’s leaning MPs accused the government of high-handedness and failing to resolve the problems bedevilling the game.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed on Thursday disbanded FKF and formed an interim committee to run the game for not more than six months.
Fifa expressed concerns over the move by the government to disband Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and install a caretaker committee to manage the game.
A letter by Kenny Jean Marie, Fifa’s head of member associations, addressed to embattled FKF general secretary Barry Otieno, however, appeared to indicate the sport’s world governing body is ready to mediate an impasse between the government and FKF officials, led by Mr Mwendwa.
Although Ms Mohammed’s action has been praised in the sport’s fraternity, it has not been well-received in the DP’s camp that yesterday said the CS is engaging in politics with the removal of Mr Mwendwa.
Ms Mohamed disbanded FKF hours after an inspection committee she had tasked with conducting an audit of the federation reported several misgivings with the football body.
Former Sports CS Rashid Echesa, who is a staunch supporter of DP, asked the CS to stop meddling into the affairs of the federation and initiate dialogue with Mr Mwendwa to establish the genesis of the woes bedevilling the sector.
“Amina is the person in-charge of sports now, what she could have done was to call Mwendwa and have a lengthy discussion with him to find out where the problem is. But just disbanding FKF is wrong because it is not answerable to the government. We are risking being banned by Fifa because what Amina has done is interfering with an independent body,” Mr Echesa said.
According to the former CS, the money Mr Mwendwa is being asked to account for shows how the government has not taken sports seriously.
“This money they are saying that Mwendwa should account for over Sh260 million since 2016, this tells you that even the government is not taking sports seriously because Sh260 million is payment for an international player for two weeks. It is very shameful for the government to tell the world that that is the amount it has sponsored the football with,” Mr Echesa elucidated.
Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot, another ally of Dr Ruto, said the CS is misguided by disbanding the FKF, asking her to stick to Section 52-54 of the Sports Act adding that the action is likely to attract legal battle.
“Will it have sorted the mess? In the end, we will be worse off than before her intervention. While fans have the latitude to demand for better by any means necessary, as a CS, she should have played it better,” said Senator Cheruiyot.
“How hard was it for CS Mohammed to plainly read the statute that gives her the powers to set up the caretaker committee and comply so that we indeed achieve the reforms she claims to be establishing,” he added.
Nominated MP Gideon Keter, who is also a member of Bunge FC, faulted Sports CS saying that she is not in touch with the reality in the sector.
“Amina erred in disbanding the FKF because she has not been on the ground to know what is going on. The CS is unapproachable; you cannot run such a docket from the office. Who even knows that she is the Sports CS?” posed Mr Keter.
Nominated Senator Millicent Omanga, another DP Ruto’s ally termed CS Mohammed’s action as unprocedural and unlawful further describing it ‘knee-jack reaction’.
“I vehemently disagree with the disbandment of FKF. The CS ignored the law and her arbitrary actions amounted to contempt to Parliament. Knee-jerk reaction is not a panacea to the problems bedevilling football in Kenya,” she posted on Twitter.
But lawmakers supporting the President accused their colleagues of playing politics with football and talent. Jubilee deputy secretary-general Joshua Kutuny, who is also Cherang’any MP, claimed that DP allies who are against the disbandment of FKF are doing so because his camp has never supported the government in its initiatives to fight corruption.
According to Mr Kutuny, FKF is one of the bodies which the Tangatanga have benefited from greatly and their ‘cries’ will not deter President Kenyatta’s administration from weeding out corruption. “One of the institutions that they have milked is FKF because they have been having their associates there. Sports is a big industry in other jurisdictions but here we have killed the talents of many young people,” said Kutuny.
Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu, a critic of the DP, said Dr Ruto’s allies are not genuine in opposing CS Mohamed’s action in dissolution of the FKF arguing that they also undermine government’s moves to fight graft.
“It’s sad that Ruto and his allies would now choose to politicise this decision. However, their opposition to the government decision to sort the football mess is not based on any merit or reason. It can only be understood within the context of them opposing anything that the government does,” Mr Wambugu elucidated.
Eldas MP Adan Keynan, who is also the secretary of the Jubilee Coalition Joint Parliamentary Group, asked the CS not to listen to those who are opposed to her decision arguing that it is time for the country’s image as a sporting nation to be restored.
“We are supporting the bold and courageous move by CS Amina in getting rid of cartels and saboteurs in the sporting fraternity so that we can restore Kenya’s image as a sporting nation,” said Mr Keynan BY DAILY NATION
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