Kiambu County Sports stakeholders have raised alarm over misappropriation of funds and grabbing of playgrounds by private developers.
The team managers, referees, coaches have been forced to dig deep in their pockets and support tournaments despite the docket receiving 126Million in this year’s budget.
A manager from the Kenya Athletics Academy in Thika decried the war against illicit brews and drug abuse by the government might not succeed if sports are not taken seriously by the county government.
“We want the Ethics and Anticorruption Commission (EACC) to investigate officials manning the sports Ministry in Kiambu County. The county has been setting aside funds to develop sports, but the monies have been disappearing mysteriously in individual pockets, leaving us to sponsor events. This cannot be tolerated,” said Wambura,
Kiambu Sports patron Rev Ephraim Muiruri said due to the “non-committal syndrome” in sports by the counties, youth who were rescued from these vices tend to slide back.
“If timely action is not taken to resuscitate sports in the county, the enormous talent will go to waste in illicit brews and other drugs. Let Governor Kimani Wamatangi tour the area for a fact-finding mission to understand what athletes are going through,” said Muiruri.
They accused the county government and other leaders for grabbing land and erecting buildings leaving up no field for training or playing.
However, Kiambu county Sports County Executive Committee member, Osman Korar has refuted the allegations saying the sports ministry has been operating on zero budgets for the past four years due to a cash crunch.
He further said he will organize a meeting with stake holders to identify the grabbed land and write to the Ministry of Lands for revocation and also hope that the sports department would be allocated funds in this financial year adding that governor Kimani Wamatangi was keen about sports in the country.
