Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports docket Cabinet Secretary nominee Kipchumba Murkomen has detailed how he will turn around the sports sector in the country should he get approved to assume office.
Appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Appointments on Saturday, August 3, 2024, for vetting, Murkomen told the Moses Wetang’ula-led panel how he will reform the Football Kenya Federation (FKF).
Murkomen on FKF
Murkomen took a swipe at the Nick Mwendwa-led FKF over its failure to hold elections.
“The place that has to start is football sports management and for this purpose, FKF. It is not right that for the last eight years, you have an organization that has a leadership in office that has not been elected but there are there in perpetual,” Murkomen stated.
He also took a swipe at Athletics Kenya (AK), which he said has been there for 12 years without an election.
“It is not just FKF. AK has been there for 12 years without having an election. There is a serious problem when it comes to sports management in this country. What is also worse is that there is a collaboration between these organizations and court orders. They perpetuate themselves using court orders the same way FKF is perpetuating itself along a court order,” Murkomen said.
Kipchumba Murkomen: There is a serious problem when it comes to sports management in this country. The first thing that I will do is to call upon all the stakeholders in different sectors of sports and we make sure that we turn it around. #K24Siasa pic.twitter.com/uESnnbnFDS
— K24 TV (@K24Tv) August 3, 2024
Murkomen on financing federations
Murkomen went ahead to warn that the government will not finance any sports federation that will fail to follow the Sports Act, and which does not do regular elections.
Moreover, Murkomen pointed out that should he get approved by parliament to assume office as Sports CS, he will make sure that all the funds received by sports federations from international sports organizations are audited,
“We will make sure not to finance any sports federation that is not following the Sports Act and that does not do regular elections. Our sports federations cannot continue to hide saying that the resources they get from FIFA, the World Athletics Organization or International Badminton Organizations, are not subject to auditing. We must audit that money and we will involve the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, we will involve the DCI since that money is given to Kenya and not the federations themselves,” Murkomen stated.
Kipchumba Murkomen: We will make sure not to finance any sports federation that is not following the Sports Act and that does not do regular elections. I am not an easy person and I am going to deal with this federation.#K24Siasa pic.twitter.com/0k8E8AXaXt
— K24 TV (@K24Tv) August 3, 2024
Cheruiyot on FKF debacle
Murkomen’s remarks come days after Kericho County Senator Aaron Cheruiyot expressed his concerns on another imminent FIFA ban that Kenya is facing.
Cheruiyot through his official X account on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, said the involvement of courts in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) debacle will lead to another FIFA ban.
According to Cheruiyot, the involvement of courts in the FKF disputed election process will also cause Kenya to lose the privilege of hosting the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
He questioned why the court issued Ex Parte orders and set the next hearing date to October 2024.
“On this FKF debacle, our courts will safely chaperone us into a FIFA ban, complete with all the attendant consequences, including loss of AFCON hosting. On such a technical issue as the disputed election process, why would a judge issue Ex Parte orders and set the next hearing date to October?” Cheruiyot questioned.
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