Government funds misuse uncovered amid Agai Mixed, Kisumu Day football dispute

Kisumu County Education Ministry has dismissed Agai Mixed’s petition against Kisumu Day for fielding two ineligible players allegedly poached from Agai during the county boys’ football final.

Additionally, it emerged that the petitioner had been illegally receiving government capitation funds for one of the footballers.

The County Secondary Schools Ball Games Disputes Jury dismissed Agai Mixed Secondary School’s petition during a meeting held at the County Education Director’s boardroom on the 3rd floor of the new building plaza, which previously housed Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o’s office, People Sport established.

The disputes jury meeting was chaired by Deputy County Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Director George Abungu.

Speaking to People Sport, County Games vice-secretary Milka Matiku disclosed that during the meeting, the jury reviewed the Education Ministry’s QAS officers’ field findings on Agai’s petition and also examined evidential documents presented by the two schools’ Chief Principals, Akoko and Mwaturo.

The jury’s dismissal of Agai’s petition was confirmed by County Schools Games Secretary George Osura.

“The jury examined and validated the schools’ classroom registers, fees registers, KCSE nominal rolls, admission registers, National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) details, birth certificates, students’ personal letters to the Ministry of Education confirming their schools, and bona fide school transfer forms of the two alleged ineligible players: Hammaton Osano Ochieng’ and Brian Aroka Odiwuor.”

“Agai presented photocopies of these documents, while Kisumu Day provided the originals,” Matiku commented.

Matiku explained that the jury established that both alleged ineligible players were not poached by Kisumu Day from Agai. Instead, Kisumu Day had procedurally acquired the students’ transfers.

In the case of one student, Hammaton, Agai declined to transfer his NEMIS details to Kisumu Day. Matiku revealed that Agai had illegally received the student’s annual Sh22,000 government capitation funds because it still retained the student’s NEMIS information and had not released it in favor of Kisumu Day.

Matiku also noted that the jury found Brian was registered at St. Paul’s Gekano High School in Nyamira County from Form One and transferred to Kasagam Secondary, which sought him to play for the school’s football team.

Kisumu Day then procedurally secured his transfer from Kasagam, unlike Agai.

Following that, Kisumu Day will now represent Kisumu County at the Nyanza regional schools ball games, scheduled to commence in Kisii County on July 10 and conclude on July 13.

Games officials will report to the competition venue early on July 8 to familiarize themselves with the venues, including Kisii High School, Cardinal Otunga High School, and Gusii Stadium in Kisii town.