Bales of Team Kenya’s Olympic kit recovered from NOCK official’s Nairobi residence

NAIROBI: Bales of Nike kit were Monday recovered from the residence of National Olympic Committee-Kenya (Nock) vice-chairman and Team Kenya deputy Chef-de-Mission for Rio 2016 Olympics, Ben Ekumbo.

The uniforms were meant to be given to the Team Kenya that participated in the Olympics in Brazil in August.

Ekumbo was arrested after the operation at his Westlands apartment by a team of detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI).

The officers were armed with a search warrant when they arrived at the house. They later went with the recovered kit and the official to DCI headquarters for questioning.

Ekumbo was present during the afternoon operation in his apartment as officers loaded the kit that also included running and swimming gear into their vehicle.

The Deputy NOCK vice chairman and Kenya Swimming Federation boss is likely to be charged with stealing.

“There was a complaint over the status of the kit which we believe were stolen,” said an officer aware of the probe.

Ekumbo deputized Head of Mission Stephen Soi at the Rio Olympic Games in Brazil that were shrouded by controversy before, during and after over embezzlement of funds, theft of team kit and mistreatment of Team Kenya athletes in Brazil.

Soi, fellow Nock vice-chairman Pius Ochieng and Secretary General Francis K. Paul are out on bail after being charged with offenses.

Police have been investigating the saga and have since established there was embezzlement of money meant for athletes at the event.

During the raid, police had to show Ekumbo a search warrant for him to allow them in.

A police van arrived and officers who had information of the status of the kit started loading the seized kit from different rooms in the apartment including his kitchen.

The officials already in court were arrested on their return from Rio at the end of August over their roles in the alleged mismanagement of the Kenyan team's preparations for the Games.

NOCK was disbanded on August 25 following public pressure and a directive from President Uhuru Kenyatta for the situation to be investigated.

A probe report into the saga has established Sh88 million was embezzled. The report was handed to Kenyatta.

“Some ministry officials misappropriated Sh88, 611,480 meant for air tickets while Nock has been misappropriating Nike contract funds and kit worth amounting to Sh126m per year meant for athletes since 2013,” says the report.