Divisions in Sports Ministry laid bare as CS, PS give conflicting reports on state of stadia in the country
Evidence of disarray and divisions within the top echelons of Sports Ministry were laid bare yesterday when Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Sports, Culture and Tourism probing state of stadiums in the country.
The two career diplomats have for weeks been at loggerheads over various issues within the ministry with the CS largely in the dark over operations within her portfolio.
Amina, flanked by her lieutenants appeared to read from a different script to that of her Principle Secretary Kirimi Kaberia, who faced favouritism questions over preference in completing Kinoru and Chuka stadiums, whose demands are marginally low compared to the likes of Kimariny in Iten and Nyayo stadium.
The CS, despite having certified completion rates on the seven stadiums under construction has deployed engineers from the Ministry of Works to counter-check the stadium conditions.
“The certificates indicate percentages of work done in each stadium but I have a team on the ground verifying these reports. It appears that money paid is not commensurate to work done on some of these stadiums and so I’ll be able to give a more accurate report when the team reports back,” she told the committee.
The apparent mistrust displayed by the CS left members of the committee with even more questions.
Things reached a head for the CS and her team when the members of National Assembly delved into division of powers within the ministry with Kaberia accused of usurping powers of Sports Kenya and failing to utilise the billions accrued in the National Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund.
At that juncture, the CS called for the media to be ejected but afterwards indicated that a review of the Sports Act of 2013 transferred certain roles currently being performed by the PS to Sports Kenya.
The Department of Sports was also at pains to explain the rationale behind awarding one contractor several stadium construction tenders when there were hundreds of bids.
Webuye West MP Dan Wanyama accused Kaberia of micromanaging semi autonomous government agencies within the department for his own gain.
“Honorable CS you are still new in this docket and your intentions look good but I want to bring it to your attention that there are cartels within this ministry and the chief of them is your PS,” Wanyama charged at the PS.
