Lawmakers have directed Auditor General Nancy Gathungu to audit the stadia projects by Sports Kenya and Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund (SASDF).

This came after it emerged that despite Sh3.78 billion being sunk into Africa Cup of National (Afcon) Stadia Consultancy to enable feasibility studies and designs little has been accomplished.

Renovation of Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani is 20 per cent done despite Sh3.5 billion being spent on the project.

Kenya Uganda and Tanzania are supposed to co-host Afcon in 2027.

The lawmakers also want the State Department of Sports and the Ministry of Defence to undertake various renovations to ensure the timely completion of stadia in readiness for Afcon 2027 by ensuring they meet the required standards in time for the tournament.

Further, they directed the Sports Arts and Social Development Fund to within one month of adoption of their report, submit to the committee a report on the disbursement of funds collected in FY 2023/2024 amounting to Sh 14.43 billion.

Exorbitant funding

In a report tabled in the National Assembly, the MPs who sit in the departmental committee on sports and culture chaired by Webuye West MP Daniel Wanyama regretted there were massive delays in the project despite exorbitant funding of the projects running into billions of shillings.

The committee regretted that work on seven regional stadia, Ruringri, Wote, Kinoru, Kirubia, Marsabit, Kamariny and Kipchoge Keino (Phase I), is still ongoing despite the projects being starts in the 2016/2017 Financial Year. Work on Bukhungu, Masinde Muliro and Kiprugut Chumo stadium is also still ongoing yet the projects started in the 2023/2024 Financial Year.

Reads the report: “THAT, the Office of the Auditor General should conduct a forensic audit within six (6) months after adoption of this report, pursuant to the provisions of section s; of the Public Audit Act, No. 34 of20l5, on all the stadia being implemented by Sports Kenya and Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund (SASDF), to establish fraud, corruption or other financial improprieties due to delays in completion of the stadia and exorbitant funding of the projects.”

The report comes hardly a month after Sports and Culture Principal Secretary Peter Tum tabled before the committee documents showing that the state department spent Sh1 billion to procure consultancy services for Afcon stadia and another Sh1.5 billion for feasibility studies and topographical services ahead of the construction of constituency sports academies.

The report also shows that despite Sh1.5 billion being spent on Constituency Sports Academies for design, feasibility study and topographical survey, the status of completion is at 2 per cent, construction of Phase 1B KAS hostel building and construction of access gate is at 85 per cent despite Sh 424 million being sunk into the project.

Pending bills

Talanta Sports City whose works are ongoing under the main contractor is at 20 per cent despite it consuming Sh45 million. The Automation System for Sports registrars where the ICT equipment have been procured at a cost of Sh115.20 million is at 20 per cent, while phase 1 of the KAS is at 100 per cent completion after the Sh1.3 billion set for the project was used to pay part of the pending bills.

Reads the report: “That, the State Department should prioritise funding for the Sports Registrar through the Sports Arts and Social Development Fund to complete the automation of the system that will ensure seamless registration of sports persons and sports organisations as a way of mitigating gaps of un-licensed sports personnel who promote doping in the sports industry.”