Dear Sakaja, let the audit be, for the sake of our football

Nick Mwendwa

Football Kenya Federation President Nick Mwendwa during the unveiling of the national team's new partner on October 9, 2021.

Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • Examples abound all over Africa of countries that underwent the ban, reorganised their football and came back stronger. If that is what it will take for our football to improve so be it. 
  • Believe you me the sun will not stop rising from the East if some thieves are sent to jail over football funds. Good day sir!

Good morning Honourable Johnson Arthur Sakaja? My good sir, I am addressing you through this medium because what I have to tell you is a matter that concerns us all as Kenyans and indeed for lovers of the beautiful game wherever they may be.

I watched in fascination as you and your colleagues debated on the impending audit of the books of accounts of the beleaguered Football Kenya Federation (FKF). 

I choose to address you personally because as you stated that you have been the patron of AFC Leopards.

From where I sit, this gives you an added advantage over your fellow Senators as far as football administration in the country goes. A bit about myself. I have also been a manager of a football team, Watume FC.

Apart from that, I have worked from the precincts of parliament as a parliamentary reporter so I have an idea or two how the House operates. I believe those two factors make us kindred spirit. Sort of.

Now to the matter at hand. If you recall sir, this thing started when the Auditor General flagged what she suspected was some Chinese accounting having taken place at Kandanda House.

The Minister in charge, Ambassador Amina Mohamed, using powers conferred on her by the Sports Act, ordered an audit of FKF’s books.

Now my good sir, can you say that Madam Minister acted ultra vires? Not really because Section51 (1) of the Sports Act 2013. We all saw how FKF President Nick Mwendwa was forced to accept the audit after kicking and screaming.

What we have seen is a sustained war of attrition mounted by FKF dissing anyone and everyone seen to support the audit.

Some allegations swirling around is that there are some online warriors paid some 527 shillings per day to defend the junta at Kandanda House at all costs.

Since I only deal only in facts and I have no proof of such dealings I will only label them allegations.

The message these people are sending out is that the audit will end up having Kenyan banned by Fifa. In your statement on the floor of the House you also cautioned against any action that would lead to Kenya being banned.

Pray, tell, why would Fifa ban Kenya for auditing FKF books of accounts? The issue here is very simple and even a slow learner in a kindergarten will have no problem grasping it -- the government just wants to see if the tax payers’ money given to FKF was used properly.

The last time I covered parliament I left with the impression that the August House also exists to carry out such duties and I would have expected you and your fellow honourable senators to fight in the government’s corner and supported the audit.

If there are people found to have misused government money let them go to jail as we saw in the cases of former CS Ali Wario and Stephen Soi.

As a parting shot, a Fifa ban is not a death sentence by the way.

Examples abound all over Africa of countries that underwent the ban, reorganised their football and came back stronger. If that is what it will take for our football to improve so be it. 

Believe you me the sun will not stop rising from the East if some thieves are sent to jail over football funds. Good day sir!