Leadership wrangles affecting cricket

By Steve Mkawale

Segregating players along racial lines and leadership wrangles within Cricket Kenya has hampered development of the sport in the country, the State has admitted.

Youth Affairs and Sports Assistant Minister Kabando wa Kabando admitted in parliament the development of the sport has greatly been undermined by the wrangles among officials.

This, he said, has lowered the standards of the sport and of services rendered by the governing body, Cricket Kenya.

He further admitted the government was aware that segregation along racial lines was rife in the sport.

Kabando regretted that despite the gains the black players have made in the recent past, the management of the sport was still tightly controlled by a minority group within the Asian Community.

The minister admitted that players of Asian extraction enjoyed preferential treatment in the national team and even earned more than their black counterparts.

Kabando said an audit has been instituted to address the problem in the governing body.

“Those who exploit colour and economic status to manage the sport will be sanctioned appropriately,” he assured the House.

The Minister was responding to a question by Nominated MP Amina Abdalla who sought to know the cause of the wrangles that has seen the sport plummet to lowest ranking “that it can even beat Nepal”.

Abdalla further sought the minister to explain why the national team coach and the CEO are earning twice as much as the total allowances paid to the 20 players of the national team.

She claimed that while the two officials earn an accumulated income of Sh14 million per year, players are paid Sh30, 000 in the same period.

But the minister explained that the two officials earn the salaries commensurate with their qualifications and experience.

“The players are some of the highest paid professional players in the country,” said the minister.

Kabando said the CEO’s emolument has a basic salary component and earnings of 20 per cent commission for every sponsorship deal that he brings to CK.

“The current CEO was hired in a world cup year, where big sponsorship was obtained for the team and this may explain the high payments he receives,” he said adding that there is no local person who qualifies to coach the national team.

Kabando revealed to the House that two players were sponsored for a level 3 coaching course in South Africa, but they failed their exams.

In a bid to resolve the impasse over the long overdue elections, Kabando instructed the clubs in Nairobi and the National executive committee of the Cricket Kenya to initiate dialogue amongst themselves.