Alleged misappropriation of Funds by the Kisumu County Executive Committee member, Ms Achie Alai and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Sports.
In 2019, the Kisumu County Government announced that it could close the Moi Stadium facility to pave way for proposed renovations. The closure could take effect in June that year for a period of two years and to a tune of Shs. 90Million. The major transformations were to be done on terraces, media centres and changing rooms.
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Photos of the proposed sports complex were sent to media houses for circulation. Fans were excited that something good was to happen to the iconic sports facility that had embarrassed them during the 2017 CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup held in Kenya in which players had to use makeshift tents as changing rooms. Something that never took off despite the pomp and colour ceremony during the announcement and unveiling of a model prototype and groundbreaking. The county CEC Sports and Tourism hinted that the renovation would be accomplished through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
A past event at Moi Stadium Kisumu
The tune later changed that the renovation of the facility would start afresh and several donors were identified, including the Central government, PPP, County government and FIFA. One year down the line, nothing substantial has been accomplished after the EACC raised a red flag that procurement malpractices had been committed in the awarding of tenders.
The County Assembly of Kisumu also raised alarms questioning the feasibility of the project to a combined tune of Shs. 1.4billion without express identities of donors and budgetary allocations. The following is the investigative report released by the County PAC.
The Kisumu County Public Accounts and Investments Committee released a report on the status of the Construction/renovation of Moi Stadium. According to the report, an estimated total cost of Shs. 1.4 Billion was earmarked for the construction of the facility. It emerged that Shs. 130 million was appropriated and Shs. 89million spent (which was part of the 10% contract sum). However, Shs. 100million was appropriated but was never utilized due to stoppage by EACC.
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One of the reasons why the project stalled is the stoppage by the EACC due to non-procedural procurement regulations in awarding of tenders. The Sports, Arts, culture and tourism department did not furnish the committee with what informed the Shs. 1.4 billion costs for the project and the committee could not establish whether the balance of Shs. 41million was spent or not. That the department was unable to explain the sources of funding of the said Shs. 1.4billion remains a mystery since Achi Alai (the County Executive Member, Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Sports) could not offer evidential support for the funding.
In a nutshell, The Committee established that the Department had in its FY 2018/2019 a budget of Kshs. 130 Million for the mentioned stadium complex renovation. The Committee could not however establish what happened to the remaining Kshs. 41 million even after payment of Kshs. 89 million to EDON Consultants which was only 55% of what was to be paid.
The scope of what was done by the EDON consultants to warrant the Kshs. 89 million payments were not made clear to the Committee. The same facility has also consumed Shs. 4million that was used for renovation during the planned visits by the Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho. The said renovations included painting, washroom renovations, paving of the slabs around the facility and repairing the cracks on the walls.
As a result, the committee made recommendations with the notable ones being the following
1. That the planned construction of the said stadium was unrealistic. The Committee, therefore, recommends for the rehabilitation of the stadium to be carried out instead.
2. That Ms Achie Alai is not fit to hold the office of the County Executive Committee member for Tourism, Culture, Arts and Sports. If she were, she would not go-ahead to commit the County to a Kshs. 1.4 billion debt considering the low revenue collection in the County.
3. The Committee also wishes to recommend that, H.E the Governor, relieves the County Executive Committee member, Ms. Achie Alai of her duties or the Assembly to start impeachment proceedings against her.
The Full Report from the County’s PAC can be found here!
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