‘I did not eat Walusimbi’s transfer money’ – Gor Mahia chairman Rachier

Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier says he did not eat Godfrey Walusimbi's transfer money [Courtesy]

It is sad that this is coming at a time when Kenyans were just starting to believe in their own domestic league.

There are myriad problems at Gor Mahia - from a frozen bank account by the Kenyan Revenue Authority (KRA) to coach Dylan Kerr trekking to the training venue due to lack of bus fare, only to find an empty ground because players are on strike over pay.

Boardroom squabbles initiated by fed up officials who have taken to playing the role of whistleblowers is taking root. The whistleblowers are busy exposing the rot whose stench can’t be ignored anymore — even if you were to invoke the spirit Gor K’Ogalo from the remote village of Kanyamwa location, in Ndhiwa Constituency, Homa Bay County.

Club chairman Ambrose Rachier’s integrity has come under sharp focus. The image of the club is in tatters even as the club chairman strongly denies allegations that he financially benefited from the sale of a player to a South African Premier League club despite Judith ‘Nyangi’ Anyango (Organising Secretary) insisting that something is not adding up when it comes to financial accountability by the management.

Gor Mahia's new organizing secretary Judith Anyango is all smile after winning her the position during club elections at Kasarani Stadium on December 11, 2016.[PHOTO:DENNIS OKEYO/STANDARD]

A section of fans are now appealing to Noordin Haji, the fearless Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) to launch investigations in the Tom Mboya-based Gor Mahia secretariat on the financial management at the club.

Claims of financial misappropriation are not an alien tale at K’Ogalo. Fans have continued to raise eyebrows on the ever-dwindling gate collection during Gor Mahia matches — while players have time and again accused some officials for demanding kickbacks before they are given new contracts.

Nyangi warns that Gor Mahia stands to lose millions of shilling to rogue officials who are using their positions to fleece the community club.

“Some people are in serious business at Gor Mahia. The money was reversed (to South Africa) but an account of a senior official was credited with three million because he’s (Godfrey) Walusimbi’s agent. How can an agent receive the money before the club?” posed Nyangi as she continues to question the now long overdue payment of Walusimbi’s Sh15 million signing fee the club is expected to receive from Kaizer Chiefs.

“Walusimbi’s agent is Rachier,” Nyangi said, further claiming that Rachier received the money directly from the Ugandan who joined Kaizer Chiefs under unclear circumstances after he ‘sneaked’ out of the country without the knowledge of any club official.

“The chairman should be honest. On what grounds did he receive Sh3 million from Walusimbi, and why is it so hard to put every transaction of the club on the table. Even NEC officials are not allowed to ask questions in a meeting where money issues are being discussed. I am only answerable to Gor Mahia fans and players and for that reason, I will not sit back and see ills being committed by some officials go unchallenged,” Nyangi told this paper.

But it is not only Nyangi who is asking the tough questions. Ben Omondi, the club’s Secretary General concurred with some of the concerns raised by Nyangi: “Whatever the Organizing Secretary said has some weight, especially the issue touching on money that went to a fake account.  The club has not yet received even a penny from the sale of Walusimbi, so we have to call a special NEC meeting to investigate the matter,” Omondi posted on social media. 

But in a rejoinder, Rachier rubbished the claims in a strongly worded statement in which he referred to events that have unfolded at the KPL champion’s camp in the last few weeks as tragic-comedy scripted and directed by ‘demagogues and self-seekers with no fix-abode’ who can afford even their own rent.

“During the past two weeks, the Gor Mahia stage has witnessed a theatre of tragic-comedy as well as that of the absurd. A theatre where impecunious self-seekers some of no fixed abode are playing the role of philanthropic benefactors purportedly paying unsolicited rent for our players; a theatre in which failed pseudo politicians are trying their hands at maiden trade-unionism purporting to advocate our players’ industrial rights,” Rachier stated.

He continued: “Hired lay-abouts have taken to social media to echo their desperate masters’ voice in the most virulent terms and to vomit varying doses of imbibed albeit undigested vitriol at the behest of their cowardly demagogues.”

The Nairobian has also learnt that Gor Mahia are yet to receive their full pay from KPL for lifting the 2017 title. According to the club’s deputy Secretary General, K’Ogalo is now owed cumulatively, five million by the league runners by virtue of retaining the title. KPL has reportedly paid only three of the four million that comes with the title.

But when the questing was put to Rachier, who is also the KPL chairman, whether the club has received the full pay and if not, why the delay, he said: “I don’t know whether we have received the full amount or if KPL still owes us. I will have to confirm with my treasurer.”

Efforts to get comments from KPL CEO Jack Oguda bore no fruit as his phone went unanswered.

Stakeholders have been keenly following up the matter.