Football stakeholders call for multi-agency audit of FKF

Nick Mwendwa, President of Football Kenya Federation. [FKF Media]

Football stakeholders are calling on the Sports Registrar to conduct a multi-agency audit into Football Kenya Federation comprising the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Auditor General, Kenya Revenue Authority and even the Public Procurement Oversight Authority.

Addressing the media today, journalist Milton Nyakundi, who along with the DCI, FKF had sought to stop investigating it, said he had unearthed financial transactions that would interest KRA, the DCI, EACC and the Public Procurement Oversight Authority as well as the Auditor General.

“The process of auditing the FKF must also involve observer groups including the civil society and the Football stakeholders as a marker for transparency and openness because there is legitimate apprehension by a section of stakeholders that Mr Nick Mwendwa, aware of how deep the rot goes, will try to manipulate the process as an attempt to sanitise himself,” he said.

This comes days after the High Court of Kenya cleared the path for the DCI and the Director of Public Prosecutions to investigate FKF President Nick Mwendwa over suspected misappropriation of funds at Kandanda House.

Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed on Friday ordered the Sports Registrar to audit FKF accounts.

“Today, pursuant to Section 52(1) of the Sports Act (2013), I have directed the Registrar of Sports to undertake the inspection of the Football Kenya Federation in accordance with the provisions of the Act,” the CS said in a statement issued by Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage Headquarters on October 15, 2021.

FKF, through a rejoinder on October 17, said they would only agree to the audit as long as the government followed the 2013 Sports Act, the FKF Constitution and FIFA Statutes.

In a letter released to the media, FKF CEO Barry Otieno stated they were ready to comply with the CS, but they still need clarification on what should be audited as they found the process confounding.

"The directive is confounding as FKF is unsure of the scope, terms of reference, and objective of the said inspection and has formally written to the Cabinet Secretary for Sports and Culture seeking further and better particulars to enable the federation to ensure compliance with the lawful and legitimate edicts of the inspection," read a statement from Mr Otieno.